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JERUSALEM   THE  HOLY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/jerusalemholybriOOwall 


Jerusalem   the   Holy 


A  Brief  History  of  Ancient  Jeru- 
salem; with  an  Account  of  the 
Modern  City  and  its  Conditions 
Political,    Religious    and    Social 


EDWIN   SHERMAN    WALLACE 

Late  United  States  Consul  for  Palestine 


With  Fifteen  Illustrations  from  Photographs 
and  Four  Maps 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming     H.    Revell    Company 

M  DCCC  XCVIII 


Copyright,  1898 

BY 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 


To  My  Mother 

At  Rest  in  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem, 

and 

To  My  Wife 

Who  Shared  with  Me  the  Varied  Experiences 

of  Five  Years'  Residence  in  the 

Jerusalem  of  Earth 


Preface 

BOOKS  about  Jerusalem  are  sufficiently  numerous.  Many- 
volumes  within  recent  years  have  recorded  the  impres- 
sions of  tourists  with  such  adequacy  for  their  purpose  as  a 
few  days'  sojourn  in  the  city  permits.  These,  while  generally 
too  long  for  the  careless,  are  too  superficial  for  those  really  in- 
terested in  the  past  and  present  of  the  Holy  City.  Some  fifty 
years  ago  the  appearance  of  Williams'  "  Holy  City  "  and  Bar- 
clay's "  City  of  the  Great  King  "  gave  the  English  public  two 
real  histories  of  Jerusalem.  But  the  great  length  of  these  excel- 
lent treatises  has  confined  them  in  great  measure  to  the  shelves 
of  large  libraries,  while  the  flight  of  time  and  the  growth  of 
knowledge  is,  slowly  but  surely,  rendering  them  antiquated. 

In  the  present  volume  the  author  has  sought  to  combine 
completeness  with  brevity,  and  thus  to  place  in  the  hands  of 
those  who  are  interested  in  this  city  of  sacred  memories  and 
holy  sites  a  book  of  such  facts  as  are  ascertainable.  The  opin- 
ions expressed  are  based  upon  careful  study  of  recognized 
authorities,  supplemented  by  diligent  personal  investigation, 
carried  on  during  a  residence  of  five  years  in  Jerusalem.  In 
many  conversations  with  travellers  the  writer  has  learned  what 
is  of  greatest  interest  to  those  who  have  but  limited  time  for 
their  own  observation.  The  attempt  is  here  made  to  give  the 
benefit  of  his  studies  to  those  who  are  interested,  to  answer  as 
briefly  as  possible  the  questions  that  have  been  so  often  asked, 
and  thus  to  prepare  intending  visitors  for  an  intelligent  com- 
prehension of  what  they  shall  see  when  they  arrive  in  the  Holy 
City.  At  the  same  time  the  work,  it  is  hoped,  will  benefit 
those  whom  circumstances  prevent  from  beholding  the  present 
remnant  of  the  once  great  city,  by  giving  them  a  picture  of 

7 


8  Prefc 


ace 


what  it  is  and  narrating  the  experiences  through  which  it  has 
reached  its  present  condition. 

For  the  historical  parts  of  the  work  I  must  acknowledge  my 
indebtedness  to  many,  but  especially  to  Professor  Sayce's 
"  Patriarchal  Palestine  "  ;  Edersheim's  "Jesus  the  Messiah  "  ; 
Doctor  Robinson's  "  Biblical  Researches"  ;  Williams'  "  Holy 
City,"  and  Barclay's  "  City  of  the  Great  King."  So  many 
books  have  been  consulted  that  it  would  be  useless  to  mention 
all.  I  have  not  hesitated  to  draw  from  every  source,  and  those 
who  are  acquainted  with  the  publications  of  the  Palestine  Ex- 
ploration Society  will  find  that  these  papers  have  assisted  me 
very  materially.  The  illustrations  are  from  photographs  taken 
by  Rev.  Putnam  Cady  and  Prof.  E.  Warren  Clark. 

Edwin  Sherman  Wallace. 

United  States  Consulate,  Jerusalem,  1898. 


Contents 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  City  of  the  Canaanites 13 

II.     The  City  of  David  and  Solomon 27 

III.  Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It 47 

IV.  The  City  as  it  is  To-day 69 

V.    The  New  Jerusalem 89 

VI.     The  Walls  and  Gates 101 

VII.    The  Hills  Round  About 115 

VIII.     The  Valleys 129 

IX.     The  Temple  Hill 147 

X.    Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 171 

XI.    The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary 199 

XII.    Some  Places  of  Special  Interest 215 

XIII.     Excavations  in  Jerusalem 231 

XIV.    Climate  and  Health 247 

XV.     Passion  Week  and  Easter 261 

XVI.     The  Jews 287 

XVII.    Christians  in  Jerusalem 311 

XVIII.     The  Moslems , 329 

XIX.    The  Future  of  Jerusalem :   .   .   349 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Mosque  of  Omar Frontispiece 

Robinson's  Arch Facing  page    60 

Native  Water  Carriers  ) 


Street  Market  Scenes      ) 

United  States   Consulate 

Consular  Guards 

Interior  of  Damascus  Gate 

Gate  of  St.  Stephen 

I  ..." 

East  Wall  and  Moslem  Cemetery  I 

The  Golden  Gate  J 

Mount  of  Olives  and  Garden  of  Gethsemane  .  " 

Old  Olive  Tree  in  Garden  of  Gethsemane  .  .  " 
The  City  as  Seen  from  the  Summit  of  the  New  Calvary  " 
Southern  View  of  the  New  Calvary  ..." 

Syrian  Bishop  of  Jerusalem " 

Maps. following11 


19 
94 

106 

118 

139 
199 
209 
320 
359 


11 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  CANAANITES 


Jerusalem — The  Name — Its  Origin — Salem — Testimony  of 
Egyptian  Monuments — Tel-el-Amarna  Tablets — Melchizedek 
— Ebed-Tob — Abraham  in  Canaan — Civilization  of  the  Ca- 
naanites — Debir — Modern  Explorations — Jerusalem  always  a 
Sacred  City — Jebusites — Hittites — The  Confederates — Adoni- 
Zedek — Victories  of  Joshua — Division  of  the  Land — Judah  and 
Benjamin — Moral  and  Religious  Degeneracy — Jebusite  Su- 
premacy— Judges — Samuel — Founding  of  the  Monarchy — 
David — Conquest  of  Jerusalem. 


14 


THE   CITY   OF   THE   CANAANITES 

JERUSALEM  as  a  name  and  as  a  place  has  given  students 
of  archaeology  much  concern.  The  origin  of  the  name 
and  of  the  people  who  first  employed  it  to  describe  their 
city  has  been  a  fruitful  source  of  speculation.  Diligent  ques- 
tioning of  the  monuments  of  Egypt  and  the  tablets  of  Babylonia 
has  succeeded  in  making  these  long  silent  witnesses  give  up 
their  secrets.  Periods  of  time,  the  history  of  which  conjecture 
has  supplied,  are  now  positively  known.  Fact  has  taken  the 
place  of  supposition.  The  inquirer  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
word  Jerusalem  is  no  longer  told  that  the  word  was  coined  at 
the  time  of  David ;  he  learns  that  it  was  in  existence  centuries 
before,  that  it  was  known  as  the  name  of  a  city  of  importance 
in  the  days  when  Babylonish  influence  was  felt  as  far  west  as 
the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean. 

Until  within  very  recent  years  one  might  have  accepted  any 
of  several  definitions  of  the  word  Jerusalem.  The  rabbis  in 
their  zeal  to  connect  the  founding  of  the  city  with  Abraham 
asserted  that  he,  the  father  of  their  faith,  first  called  the  place 
Jireh  and  that  Shem  contributed  the  latter  half  of  the  name ; 
in  order  that  there  might  be  no  unpleasantness  between  these 
two  worthies,  God  himself  combined  the  two  words  into  the 
one  by  which  the  city  has  since  been  known.  Reland  and 
Ewald  derived  it  from  two  Hebrew  words  meaning  "the  in- 
heritance of  peace."  Gesenius  translated  it  "foundation  of 
peace."  Others  have  held  the  opinion  that  originally  there 
were  here  two  separate  cities,  one  known  as  Jebus,  the  other 
Salem ;  that  eventually  they  were  united  and  their  names  re- 
solved into  one,  which,  for  the  sake  of  euphony,  became  Jerusa- 

r5 


16  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

lem  instead  of  Jebussalem.  A  similar  view  was  held  by  those 
who  give  the  Hebrew  dual  form  to  the  word,  reading  it  Jeru- 
shalaim,  a  form  that  occurs  in  five  places  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. When  the  Greek  influence  predominated,  a  Greek  der- 
ivation made  it  mean  "  the  holy  place  of  Solomon." 

All  these  hypotheses  had  their  value  when  no  positive  infor- 
mation was  at  hand  :  now  the  facts  are  before  us.  In  the 
cuneiform  documents  the  city  is  called  Uru-Salim,  the  city  of 
Salim.  In  the  early  language  of  Canaan  as  we  learn  from  a 
Nineveh  tablet  "uru"  was  equivalent  to  the  Babylonish 
"alu,"a  city.  The  Semitic  "uru"  represents  the  "eri," 
"a  city,"  of  the  pre-Semitic  language  of  Babylonia.  As  to 
"Salim"  there  has  never  been  a  doubt:  it  means  "peace," 
and  was  the  name  of  the  God  of  Peace.  So  we  have  Uru- 
Salim,  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  the  God  of  Peace. 

The  information  furnished  by  the  monuments  and  tablets 
makes  us  reasonably  certain  as  to  another  long-disputed  sub- 
ject. When  Abraham  returned  after  defeating  the  kings  who 
had  despoiled  Sodom  and  carried  Lot  away  captive,  he  was 
met  "in  the  valley  of  Shaveh,  which  is  the  King's  dale"  by 
"Melchizedek,  king  of  Salem,"  and  "  priest  of  the  most  High 
God."  This  Melchizedek  was  king  of  Jerusalem.  From  the 
history  of  Absalom  we  know  that  the  "  King's  dale  "  was  near 
Jerusalem.  Salem  was  frequently  used  for  the  longer  name, 
and  so  appears  several  times  on  the  Egyptian  monuments. 
One  of  the  victory-inscriptions  of  Rameses  II.  on  the  walls  of 
the  Rameseum  at  Thebes,  describing  that  monarch's  conquests 
in  Southern  Palestine,  mentions  Salem.  Rameses  III.  at 
Medinet  Habu,  tells  us  that  he  conquered  "the  district  of 
Salem  "  between  "  the  country  of  Hadashah  "  and  "  the  dis- 
trict of  the  Dead  Sea  "  and  "  the  Jordan." 

Salim,  the  God  of  Peace,  was  the  patron  deity  of  Jerusalem, 
the  city  of  peace.  Melchizedek,  priest  of  the  most  high  God, 
officiating  in  the  city  of  peace,  came  out  to  welcome  and  bless 
the  returning  conqueror  Abraham,  who  had  routed  the  ene- 


The  City  of  the  Canaanites  17 

mies  of  the  land  and  restored  peace  to  its  inhabitants.  The 
offerings  of  bread  and  wine  made  by  the  priest  were  tokens, 
the  one  that  peace  had  been  established,  the  other  of 
gratitude  to  him  whose  prowess  had  effected  this  desirable 
consummation.  The  story  of  Melchizedek  can  no  longer 
be  subject  to  critical  doubts.  The  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets  give 
their  corroborative  testimony  of  illustration  and  explanation. 
Salem  was  Jerusalem. 

Among  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets  are  found  letters  written 
by  a  king  of  Jerusalem  to  Amenophis,  the  then  reigning 
Pharaoh  in  Egypt.  This  king,  Ebed-Tob,  was  not  a  governor 
appointed  from  Egypt,  but,  as  he  himself  says,  was  a  tributary 
ally  of  the  empire  of  the  Nile.  There  are  some  striking  points 
of  resemblance  between  this  king,  Ebed-Tob,  and  the  royal 
priest  Melchizedek.  He  claims  his  kingdom  not  by  human 
appointment,  nor  by  succession  from  royal  progenitors,  but 
through  the  oracle  of  the  "Mighty  King."  The  Pharaoh  is 
called  "  the  Great  King,"  so  that  when  "  the  Mighty  King  " 
is  spoken  of  we  see  in  Him  "the  Most  High  God  "  of  Mel- 
chizedek. In  this  early  day,  fifteen  centuries  before  our  era, 
Jerusalem  had  a  religious  monarch  who  confesses  that  he  owes 
the  honor  of  his  appointment  and  the  dignity  of  his  royal  posi- 
tion to  his  God. 

When  Abraham  journeying  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  came 
to  Canaan,  he  found  a  people  not  entirely  strange  to  him. 
The  civilization  of  his  native  land  had  preceded  him ;  in  the 
cities  of  Canaan  the  people  worked  and  worshipped  as  in  his  own 
country.  Babylonia  was  the  predominant  power  in  "  the  land 
of  the  Amorites."  In  the  cities  of  the  West  the  language  of 
Babylon  was  commonly  known ;  there  were  schools  for  the 
study  of  it,  and  scribes  who  copied  on  tablets  of  clay  the  rec- 
ords that  were  to  be  preserved.  With  two  or  three  notable 
exceptions  the  cuneiform  characters  were  used  in  all  diplo- 
matic and  polite  correspondence. 

It  has  been  taken  for  granted  that  the  land  to  which  Abra- 


18  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ham  came  as  an  immigrant  was  sparsely  settled  by  barbar- 
ous people;  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets  show  us  that  this  as- 
sumption was  far  from  the  truth.  And  yet  the  real  condition 
of  the  land  and  the  people  might  have  been  inferred  from  the 
Old  Testament,  in  the  names  by  which  some  of  the  cities  of 
Canaan  were  known:  for  example,  Debir — "  the  sanctuary" 
was  known  by  two  other  names,  Kirjath-Sannah,  "  the  city  of 
instruction,"  and  Kirjath-Sepher,  "  the  city  of  books."  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  in  these  names  we  receive  a  charac- 
terization of  the  place  according  to  the  employment  of  its  in- 
habitants. Debir  was  situated  in  the  mountainous  parts  of 
Judah ;  if  its  exact  location  ever  be  discovered,  a  library  of  in- 
formation about  these  early  times  may  be  given  to  the  world. 

The  results  of  modern  exploration  in  Palestine,  while  they 
have  disappointed  expectations  in  some  respects,  have  been 
of  great  value  in  assisting  in  the  formation  of  correct  opinions 
of  the  early  periods  of  history.  As  each  discovery  corrobo- 
rates the  Biblical  narrative,  the  hope  grows  that  the  labors  of 
explorers  may  be  rewarded  by  some  great  "find."  Professor 
Petrie  and  Doctor  Bliss  in  their  work  at  Tel-el-Hesi  demon- 
strated the  possibility  of  such  a  hope  being  realized.  If  Tel- 
el-Hesi  could  reveal  the  work  of  men's  hands  wrought  from 
3,000  to  1,500  years  b.  c,  and  one  letter  in  cuneiform  char- 
acter of  the  same  date  as  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets,  there  is 
no  limit  to  the  hopes  that  those  interested  in  such  discoveries 
may  be  permitted  to  entertain.  Palestine  is  a  land  of  mounds, 
or  tels,  the  sites  of  ancient  cities.  They  are  waiting  for  the 
pick  of  the  excavator  to  disclose  their  hidden  treasures  of  in- 
formation concerning  the  pre-Israelite  dwellers  in  this  land. 

The  excavations  made  under  the  direction  of  the  Palestine 
Exploration  Fund,  by  Conder  and  Bliss  have  settled  some  dis- 
puted questions  of  topography,  but,  carefully  and  industriously 
as  the  work  has  been  done,  have  added  little  to  our  knowledge 
of  the  city's  builders  and  inhabitants  previous  to  the  Jewish 
conquest  under  David.     Our  information,  limited  as  it  is,  has 


The  City  of  the  Canaanites  19 

been  derived  from  other  sources,  the  discovery  of  which  war- 
rants the  belief  that,  when  existing  obstacles  to  excavations 
within  the  present  city  walls  and  near  the  Holy  Places  of  the 
Moslems  are  removed,  discoveries  equal  in  importance  to  that 
of  Tel-el-Amarna  will  be  made. 

This  much  is  now  positive  knowledge,  that  when  Abram, 
the  Chaldean  sheikh,  pitched  his  tents  in  the  land  of  Canaan 
he  was  in  a  country  that  was  settled  and  reasonably  well  gov- 
erned, that  the  Babylonish  culture  and  civilization  predomi- 
nated, that  Jerusalem  was  a  city  whose  ruler  was  recognized  as 
king  over  a  district,  probably  the  lord  of  Canaan,  to  whom 
the  neighboring  princes  paid  homage,  and  that  Jerusalem  was 
already  a  sacred  city.  We  cannot  yet  say  to  which  of  the 
numerous  Canaanitish  tribes  Melchizedek,  the  king  of  Right- 
eousness, belonged.  From  the  Book  of  Numbers 1  we  learn 
that  "the  Hittites  and  the  Jebusites  and  the  Amorites  dwell 
in  the  mountains."  It  can  further  be  inferred  with  reason 
that  the  dwellers  in  the  city  in  Abram's  time  were  either  Hit- 
tites or  Amorites,  or  both,  for  the  Jebusites  were  a  local  tribe, 
in  possession  of  the  city  at  the  time  the  Israelites  under  Joshua 
entered  Canaan,  and  were  either  Amorite  or  Hittite  in  origin.* 
Ezekiel 3  confirms  this  opinion  when  in  charging  the  Jerusalem 
of  his  day  with  inconsistency,  he  says  :  "  Your  mother  was  an 
Hittite  and  your  father  an  Amorite."  The  two  nations  occu- 
pied the  entire  land  at  one  time,  Kadesh  on  the  Orontes  being 
the  stronghold  of  the  Hittites.  Hittites  and  Amorites  dwelt  to- 
gether at  Hebron,  and  Kadesh -barnea  was  "  in  the  mountains 
of  the  Amorites." 

Knowing  this  much  generally  about  these  two  large  tribes, 
or  nations,  does  not  enable  us,  however,  to  say  which  one  of 
them  occupied  the  rocky  summit  of  Zion,  nor  when  the  Jebu- 
site  took  possession.  A  theory  as  to  time,  based  upon  the 
records  of  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets,  has  much  in  its  favor.     In 

>  Num.  xiii.  29.  8Sayce's  "  Patriarchal  Palestine,"  pp.  50,  51. 

3  Ezekiel  xvi.  45. 


20  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  list  there  given  no  mention  is  made  of  the  Jebusites.  The 
name  Jebus  further  does  not  appear.  The  fact  that  Urusalim 
is  the  common  appellation  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Jebusitic  occupation  was  of  later  date.  At  the  time  the  tab- 
lets were  written,  the  king,  Ebed-Tob,  was  being  hard  pressed 
by  enemies,  whom  he  calls  Khabiri,  or  "  Confederates."  To 
assist  him  against  those  who  were  seeking  to  conquer  his  terri- 
tories and  to  dethrone  him,  he  writes  in  urgent  terms  to  the 
reigning  Pharaoh  to  send  him  help.  But  affairs  in  Egypt 
were  in  a  critical  condition  and  no  forces  could  be  spared. 
The  result  Ebed-Tob  feared  actually  happened,  as  one  of  the 
tablets  informs  us.  Jerusalem  was  finally  assaulted  and  taken, 
and  the  king  captured.  There  is  no  record  that  informs  us 
who  these  early  enemies  of  Jerusalem  were.  Among  the  Kha- 
biri, or  "Confederates,"  was  a  Bedouin  chief,  Labai,  and 
his  sons.  These  confederates  overran  and  took  all  of  southern 
Canaan.  When  next  we  hear  of  Jerusalem  it  is  a  Jebusite 
stronghold.  Doubtless  in  the  partition  of  the  spoils  of  their 
combined  victories  the  city  was  allotted  to  this  new  tribe,  or, 
following  the  suggestion  given  by  Ezekiel,  we  may  say  that 
the  Jebusites  were  a  tribe  formed  by  a  union  of  part  of  the 
Hittite  and  part  of  the  Amorite  tribes. 

All  this,  however,  is  in  the  nature  of  conjecture  based  upon 
the  correspondence  of  time  of  the  appearance  of  these  Con- 
federates and  the  change  of  the  city's  name.  The  Khabiri 
were  in  possession  of  Hebron  at  this  time  and  philologists  tell 
us  that  the  words  Khabiri  and  Hebron  have  the  same  origin. 
Other  explanations  as  to  who  the  "Confederates"  were  and 
whence  they  came  are  offered,  but  to  follow  them  would  lead 
us  from  our  present  purpose.  Enough  that  they  succeeded  in 
taking  the  city  and  making  themselves  complete  masters  of  it 
and  the  surrounding  country.  Here  we  find  them,  secure  in 
their  possession  and  boastful  of  their  security  for  some  cen- 
turies. 

Five   centuries   after   Abraham   made  his  offering  to  Mel- 


The  City  of  the  Canaanites  11 

chizedek,  at  that  time  King  of  Jerusalem,  his  descendants, 
after  generations  of  servitude  in  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  and 
forty  years  of  wilderness  wandering,  entered  Canaan  as  con- 
querors. The  name  of  the  king  of  Jebus  who  opposed  them 
suggests  that  the  city  still  retained  its  sacred  character,  and 
his  calling  upon  the  neighboring  princes  of  Hebron,  Jarmuth, 
Lachish  and  Eglon  to  come  and  help  him  to  resist  the  invaders 
indicates  that  they  were  in  some  sense  subservient  to  him. 
These  five  kings  are  all  called  Amorites  in  Joshua  x,  5. 
Adoni-zedek,  the  righteous  lord,  was  this  king's  name,  and 
from  it  we  infer  that  he,  too,  combined  in  his  person  the  office 
of  king  and  priest.  The  alliance  of  the  kings  was,  however, 
unable  to  resist  the  invaders  under  Joshua.  They  gave  battle 
at  Gibeon,  about  three  miles  northwest  of  Jerusalem  and  were 
completely  routed.  The  victory  of  the  Israelites  was  decisive. 
Adoni-zedek  and  his  four  vassal  princes  were  taken  and  paid 
the  penalty  of  their  resistance  with  their  lives. 

Following  up  his  victory  at  Gibeon  Joshua  immediately  took 
the  cities,  whose  kings  he  had  hanged  near  the  cave  of 
Makkedah,1  and  slaughtered  all  their  inhabitants.  Of  Jerusalem 
no  mention  is  made  at  this  time.  It  was  not  assailed ;  or 
the  assault  was  not  successful.  It  was  then,  no  doubt,  being  the 
capital  city,  a  much  more  strongly  fortified  place  than  any  of 
the  other  cities  and  regularly  to  invest  it  would  have  consumed 
more  time  and  required  more  formidable  enginery  of  war  than 
the  Israelites  had  at  their  disposal.  It  was  left  for  a  more 
opportune  season.  In  the  meantime  other  alliances  of  the 
native  princes  commanded  the  attention  of  Joshua  and  his 
men-at-arms. 

In  the  division  of  the  land  made  subsequently  by  Joshua  the 
northern  boundary  of  Judah's  allotted  territory  ran  "south  of 
the  Jebusite";2  and  so  Jebus  was  counted  in  Benjamin's 
portion.  However,  the  Benjamites  seem  to  have  permitted  the 
forces  of  Judah  to  do  the  fighting  necessary  to  obtain  possession. 
'Joshua  x.  15,  etc.  *  Joshua  xv.  8. 


22  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Doubtless  for  this  reason  many  passages  in  the  Bible  speak  of 
Jerusalem  as  a  city  of  Judah.  At  any  rate  Judah  did  success- 
fully assail  Jebus,1  with  the  assistance  of  the  forces  of  Simeon.2 
When  this  successful  assault  was  made  cannot  be  discovered, 
for  in  the  list  of  cities  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  Judah,  as  given 
in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  Joshua,  the  city  of  the  Jebusites  was 
the  one  exception  to  the  universal  conquest.  It  was  strong 
enough  to  make  terms  of  peace,  and,  as  the  writer  of  Joshua 
puts  it,  "  The  Jebusites  dwell  with  the  children  of  Judah  at 
Jerusalem  unto  this  day."3  How  long  these  terms  of  peace 
were  satisfactory  cannot  be  learned,  for  the  next  record  * 
mentions  that  Judah  had  taken  Jerusalem,  "  smitten  it  with 
the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  set  the  city  on  fire."  From  this 
conquest  Judah's  forces  went  to  the  south  and  east  of  their 
territory  to  overthrow  the  Canaanites,  and  seem  to  have  left 
Jerusalem  in  the  care  of  their  brothers,  the  Benjamites,  it  be- 
ing in  reality  one  of  the  cities  which  had  been  assigned  to 
them.5  But  Benjamin  was  not  strong  enough  to  keep  the 
Jebusites  in  subjection.  They  made  the  mistake  of  permitting 
the  conquered  race  to  remain  in  their  old  habitation.  Expul- 
sion of  the  Jebusite  was  the  only  method  which  would  have 
allowed  Benjamin  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  Judah's  victory. 
This  not  having  been  employed,  the  Jebusite  soon  raised  him- 
self to  a  position  of  equality,  and,  though  Benjamin  wished 
to  expel  him,  he  could  not.  So  the  next  record 6  informs  us 
that  the  Jebusite  and  Benjamite  are  dwelling  together  in 
Jerusalem. 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  reconcile  these  rather  difficult 
passages,  which  appear  to  contradict  each  other,  by  assuming 
that  at  this  early  period  the  city  was,  what  it  certainly  became 
at  a  later  date,  double  in  form,  that  is  that  there  were  two 
divisions  of  the  city,  an  upper  and  a  lower.  In  this 
case    the    children    of   Judah    were    able    to    dislodge   the 

1  Judges  i.  8.  3  Judges  i.  3.  3  Joshua  xv.  63. 

*  Judges  i.  8.  6  Joshua  xviii.  28.        fl  Judges  i.  21. 


The  City  of  the  Canaanites  23 

Jebusite  from  the  lower  city,  which  was  less  strongly  fortified, 
and  the  Benjamites  dwelt  in  this  part,  while  the  Jebusites  from 
their  stronghold  on  Zion  repelled  all  assaults.  The  Hebrew 
dual  form  which  the  name  sometimes  has,  i.  e.,  Jerushal«z>«, 
has  been  thought  to  support  this  hypothesis.  But  it  gives 
weak  support.  On  the  two  occasions 1  when  the  last  half  of  the 
word  is  used  for  the  whole  it  is  written  Shalem  and  not 
Shalaim.  In  five  other  places  where  the  dual  form  is  used, 
and  which  the  Masoretic  points  indicate,  no  support  is  given 
this  theory ;  for  these  are  of  a  much  later  date  when  the  double 
form  of  the  city  was  well  established  and  was  so  familiar  as  to 
be  reflected  in  the  name. 

This  difficulty  will  remain  until  further  records,  if  any  such 
exist,  are  discovered.  For  the  present  it  can  only  be  said  that 
in  the  troublous  times  of  the  Israelitish  conquest  of  the  land 
there  were  periods  when  first  one  and  then  the  other  of  the 
contending  parties  held  the  supremacy. 

A  period  of  moral  and  religious  degeneracy  succeeded  the 
death  of  Joshua.  The  Israelites  of  the  next  generation  forgot 
their  divine  commission  and  are  found  serving  "  the  gods  of 
the  people  that  were  round  about  them."  *  The  martial  spirit 
that  made  them  conquerors  had  sunk  so  low  that  they  could  no 
longer  maintain  what  they  had  won.  They  were  even  sold  as 
slaves  by  the  nations  that  had  stood  in  fear  of  their  fathers.3 
Occasionally  a  man  of  great  personal  power  arose  among  them 
and  revived  their  old  spirit  for  a  time.  But  with  the  decay  of 
their  sublime  religion  they  degenerated  as  men,  and  for  a  time 
their  national  existence  was  threatened ;  they  were  sinking  to 
the  level  of  the  Canaanite.  During  this  period  of  disgrace  the 
Jebusites  were  strong  enough  to  expel  them  entirely,  and  for 
nearly  three  hundred  years  the  city  was  regarded  by  the 
Israelites  as  "  the  city  of  a  stranger  "  in  which  it  was  neither 
desirable  nor  safe  for  an  Israelite  to  tarry.4 

1  Gen.  xiv.  18;  Psalm  Ixxvi.  2.  s  Judges  ii.  12. 

3  Judges  ii.  10-14.  4  Judges  xix.  12. 


24  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

The  period  of  the  judges,  until  the  authority  of  Samuel,  the 
greatest  of  the  judges,  was  recognized,  was  a  time  of  political 
and  religious  anarchy.  "  Every  man  did  that  which  was 
right  in  his  own  eyes."  *  As  a  consequence  the  record  of  the 
period  is  a  story  of  corruption  involving,  except  in  a  few  cases, 
even  the  priests  and  judges.  Under  such  circumstances  no  ad- 
vance could  be  made,  and  we  may  pass  rapidly  over  an  epoch 
the  study  of  which  tells  us  nothing  of  Jerusalem.  Secure  in 
their  rock  fortress  on  Zion  the  Jebusites  remained,  doubtless  us- 
ing past  experience  to  make  more  safe  against  attack  the  city 
for  which  nature  had  done  so  much.  And  they  would  have 
remained  in  insolent  possession,  had  not  a  great  leader  ap- 
peared. 

In  the  midst  of  this  national  degeneracy  Samuel,  second 
only  to  Moses  as  a  ruler  and  guide,  came  upon  the  stage  of  ac- 
tion. With  the  duties  of  a  judge  he  combined  those  of  a 
teacher  and  a  prophet.  In  time  he  shamed  the  Israelites  out 
of  their  idolatry  and  delivered  them  from  the  power  of  the 
Philistines.  The  spirit  of  Jehovah  came  upon  them  again  and 
their  departed  glory  returned.  In  the  hands  of  Samuel  the 
theocracy  became  a  fact,  for  he  was  virtually  a  dictator.  And 
yet,  so  long  as  the  various  tribes  retained  their  individuality 
and  the  numerous  princes  and  princelings  and  leaders  were 
under  no  universally  acknowledged  head,  there  were  petty 
jealousies  and  internal  strifes  which  seriously  weakened  the  na- 
tion. In  fact  up  to  this  time,  and  after  it,  there  was  no  Jew- 
ish nation.  Each  tribal  leader  was  nothing  more  than  a  con- 
dottiere  in  Italy  in  mediaeval  times  and  maintained  his  posi- 
tion only  by  his  ability  to  overpower  his  rivals  and  to  gratify 
the  propensity  for  spoils  of  his  clansmen. 

Amid  such  adverse  conditions  the  task  of  Samuel  was  not  an 
easy  one;  and  it  took  him  forty  years  to  accomplish  it.  The 
details  of  his  efforts  to  educate  and  elevate  the  lawless  chief- 
tains and  dispirited  people  are  unknown ;  history  records  only 
fudges  xvii.  6. 


The  City  of  the  Canaanites  25 

the  grand  result.  He  aroused  fresh  courage  and  inspired  new 
hope;  he  combined  the  factions  into  a  harmonious  whole;  he 
laid  upon  them  the  responsibility  of  conquest  and  incited  in 
them  a  belief  in  their  own  powers  to  accomplish  the  mission  to 
which  he  as  God's  spokesman  called  them.  He  revolutionized 
the  state  by  reviving  the  religion  of  the  people  and  thereby 
prepared  them  for  that  advance  in  civilization, — a  political 
revolution,  and  the  founding  of  a  monarchical  government. 
This  was  not  the  result  Samuel  had  desired.  In  fact  he  was 
opposed  to  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy,  fearing  lest  the 
change  in  government  should  wean  the  people  from  their 
newly  awakened  devotion  to  their  religion  and  draw  them 
from  that  simplicity  of  life  and  manners  which  he,  as  a  wise 
judge,  felt  to  be  their  real  security.  He  warned  them  of  the 
loss  of  liberty  that  would  follow  the  crowning  of  a  king,  but 
the  popular  voice  assented  to  a  curtailing  of  its  liberties  in  the 
hope  of  having  greater  individual  protection  and  of  being  able 
to  take  its  place  among  nations.  Despotism  is  preferable  to 
anarchy. 

Saul,  the  first  king,  was  a  man  of  royal  bearing.  The  early 
years  of  his  reign  were  marked  by  military  successes;  but 
tribal  jealousies  did  not  immediately  disappear.  It  was  not 
until  David  was  made  ruler  that  the  tribes  really  united  to 
form  the  Jewish  nation.  Hebron  was  the  first  capital,  and 
here  it  was  that  the  leaders  came  and  offered  their  allegiance 
to  the  new  monarch ;  but  Hebron  was  too  far  to  the  south  to 
remain  the  centre  of  government.  The  stronghold  of  the 
Jebusites  would  meet  the  local  requirements  for  the  new  capi- 
tal, and  to  expel  these  hated  strangers  from  the  midst  of  the 
land  would  be  a  signal  victory  with  which  to  establish  David's 
reign  over  united  Israel  and  instill  a  wholesome  respect  for  his 
arms  among  the  surrounding  nations.  These  nations  on  the 
other  hand  were  already  jealous  of  the  advance  Israel  was 
making  and,  fearful  of  their  own  security,  were  ready  to 
thwart  her  by  every  power  at  their  command. 


26  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Everything  being  in  preparation  for  the  siege,  David  moved 
northward  from  Hebron  in  command  of  the  very  flower  of  the 
armies  of  united  Israel,  who  had  come  to  Hebron  "to  turn 
the  Kingdom  of  Saul  to  him."  It  was  an  army  of  which  any 
commander  might  well  be  proud.  For  that  early  period  the 
numbers  are  startling.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand 
warriors,1  skilled  in  the  use  of  arms,  seems  an  overwhelming 
number  to  send  against  one  city.  Doubt  has  been  expressed 
of  the  accuracy  of  the  figures  given  by  the  author  of  Chron- 
icles. It  is  much  easier,  however,  to  raise  a  doubt  than  to 
prove  an  inaccuracy.  The  size  of  David's  army  gives  us  an 
idea  of  the  strength  of  Jebus.  During  the  centuries  of  their 
undisturbed  occupation  the  Jebusites  had  doubtless  grown  in 
numbers  and  power,  and,  adding  to  their  city's  fortifications, 
would  invite  the  greatest  effort  Israel  could  make  to  dislodge 
them.  Even  this  tremendous  force  did  not  daunt  the  spirit  of 
the  Jebusites.  They  beheld  it  coming  and  expected  a  result 
similar  to  the  outcome  of  past  attempts. 

David  probably  assailed  the  city  from  the  south.  The 
lower  city  was  immediately  taken,  but  the  inhabitants,  retiring 
to  the  stronghold  in  the  upper  city,  heaped  reproaches  upon 
the  king  and  showed  their  contempt  for  him  and  his  by  the 
manner  of  their  defiance.  They  insulted  him  from  the  battle- 
ments, placed  the  city's  lame 2  and  blind  upon  the  walls,  and 
informed  him  in  ridicule  that  these  would  have  to  be  taken  be- 
fore he  could  enter.  The  insult  was  soon  avenged,  for  the 
intrepid  Israelites,  with  Joab  at  their  head,  soon  scaled  the 
walls,  put  the  Jebusites  to  the  sword,  and  were  masters  of  both 
the  lower  and  upper  city,  including  the  citadel  of  Zion.  This 
capture  was  made  about  the  year  1040  b.  c,  and  from  it  dates 
the  history  of  Jerusalem  as  the  city  of  the  Jews. 

» 1  Chron.  xii.  23-39.  *  2  Sam.  v.  6;  1.  Chron.  xi.  5,  6. 


THE  CITY  OF  DAVID  AND  SOLOMON 


Effect  of  David's  Victory — Establishing  the  Kingdom — 
War  and  Peace — "City  of  David" — Wealth — Arc — Taber- 
nacle— King's  Palace — David's  Thought  to  Erect  the  Temple 
— Temple  Site — Threshing  Floors — Collecting  of  Materials — 
Closing  Years  of  David's  Reign — Solomon's  Inheritance — 
Temple  Building — Hiram  of  Tyre — Number  of  Workmen — 
Cost  of  Construction — Size  of  Temple — Origin  of  Design  of 
Temple — Location — Brief  Description — Solomon's  Other  La- 
bors— Colonnade  on  the  East — Royal  Palace — House  of  the 
Forest  of  Lebanon — Mural  Improvements — The  "Ascent" — 
Water  Supply — Commerce — Ophir — Extent  of  the  Kingdom — 
Insufficiency  of  Revenue — Solomon's  Apostasy — Internal 
Weakness  of  the  Nation — Solomon's  Death. 


28 


II 

THE   CITY   OF  DAVID   AND   SOLOMON 

THE  effect  of  the  fall  of  the  Jebusite  stronghold  was  felt 
throughout  Israel  and  among  the  surrounding  nations. 
By  this  victory  the  warrior  king  had  established  himself  firmly 
on  his  throne  and  overcome  any  opposition  that  still  lingered 
among  those  of  his  subjects  who  favored  the  succession  of  the 
house  of  Saul.  Neighboring  powers  began  to  fear  him  and 
sought  by  allying  themselves  against  him  to  check  his  progress. 
The  Philistines  led  their  forces  against  David,1  but  were  not 
permitted  to  come  to  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  the  king  meeting 
them  in  the  valley  of  Rephaim  and  defeating  them.  Later  a 
strong  alliance  was  effected  of  "  all  Syria  and  Phoenicia,  with 
many  other  nations  besides  them."2  These  were  met  in  the 
same  valley  and  effectually  routed.  These  successes  won  for 
the  new  monarch  the  friendship  of  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  from 
whom  an  embassy  soon  appeared  in  Jerusalem  offering  David 
the  usual  gifts  of  one  royal  personage  to  another  and  promising 
materials  and  artificers  to  assist  in  the  erection  of  a  palace. 

While  these  wars  on  the  one  hand  and  peace  negotiations  on 
the  other  proceeded,  David  was  further  occupied  by  the  forti- 
fying and  embellishing  of  his  capital.  It  was  to  be  made  a 
seat  of  government  worthy  of  a  strong  and  progressive  nation. 
To  make  it  more  impregnable,  the  two  cities — the  upper  and 
lower — were  united  and  enclosed  by  a  wall.  This  wall  crossed 
the  intervening  valley  on  an  artificial  embankment  to  which 
some  authorities  have  given  the  name  Millo.  On  Mount  Zion 
the  royal  palace  was  built,  and  this,  the  stronghold  of  the 
Jebusites,  was  afterward  known  as  "  the  City  of  David." 

'3  Sam.  v.  17-21 ;    I  Chron.  xiv.  8-12.  2Jos.  Ant.  vii.  4,  \  I, 

29 


30  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

During  the  thirty-three  years  of  David's  reign  there  was  lit- 
tle peace  for  the  armies  of  Israel.  But  the  result  of  the  wars 
added  to  the  glory  of  the  nation  and  increased  the  territory 
over  which  the  supremacy  of  the  king  was  acknowledged. 
The  city  grew  in  numbers  and  in  wealth.  The  trophies  of 
victory  and  the  tribute  from  vassal  princes  filled  the  royal 
treasuries.  In  the  midst  of  this  material  prosperity  and  out- 
ward glory  there  was  one  thing  lacking  which  was  essential  to 
the  peace  of  the  royal  mind  and  to  the  religious  ideas  of  the 
nation  at  large.  Though  a  human  king  was  on  the  throne,  the 
theocratic  idea  was  still  strong.  David  was  the  nominal 
ruler,  but  only  as  the  servant  of  Jehovah,  Israel's  real  sover- 
eign. The  Ark  of  the  Covenant  still  witnessed  to  the  divine 
Presence  though  it  had  as  yet  been  provided  with  no  perma- 
nent resting  place.  Since  it  had  crossed  the  Jordan  after  the 
desert  wandering,  it  had  had  a  varied  experience,  being  carried 
from  place  to  place  as  the  movement  of  the  tribes  necessitated. 
Now  the  nomadic  period  was  over.  The  tribes  were  a  nation, 
settled  in  their  own  land,  with  a  permanent  seat  of  govern- 
ment at  Jerusalem.  A  habitation  suitable  to  its  character  must 
be  provided  for  the  ark — that  most  sacredly  significant  emblem. 

The  old  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation"  was  at  this  time 
with  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  at  Gibeon.  It  had  been  taken 
there  after  the  destruction  of  the  priestly  city  of  Nob.1  Since 
it  could  not  be  removed,  a  new  tabernacle  was  prepared  for 
the  reception  of  the  ark  on  Mount  Zion.  Since  the  return  of 
the  ark  to  the  Israelites  after  its  capture  by  the  Philistines  at 
the  battle  of  Aphek  it  had  been  kept  at  Kirjath-jearim  in  the 
house  of  Abinadab.  David  resolved  to  bring  it  to  its  newly 
appointed  place  and,  amid  the  rejoicings  of  the  entire  people 
the  attempt  was  made.  But  their  joy  was  checked  and  the  re- 
moval of  the  ark  to  the  city  delayed  for  three  months  because 
of  the  irreverence  of  Uzzah.2  During  these  three  months  it 
was  deposited  in  the  house  of  Obed-edom,  the  Gittite.*  Re- 
1  I  Sam.  xxii.  19.  22  Sam.  vi.  7.  32  Sam.  vi.  II. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  31 

ports  coming  to  David  of  the  signal  manner  in  which  the  Lord 
was  blessing  the  house  of  Obed-edom,  the  king  took  it  as  an 
evidence  that  the  divine  displeasure  was  appeased.  Accord- 
ingly "  David  and  the  elders  of  Israel  and  the  captains  over 
thousands  went  to  bring  up  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  of  the 
Lord  out  of  the  house  of  Obed-edom  with  joy."  On  this  oc- 
casion the  Levites,  the  appointed  bearers  of  the  ark,  carried 
it.  With  sacrifice  and  song,  with  dancing  and  the  music  of 
many  instruments,1  "all  Israel  brought  up  the  ark."  With 
burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings  and  gifts  to  the  people  the 
king  placed  the  sacred  relic  in  the  tent  in  the  city  of  David. 

The  tent  for  the  ark  on  Mount  Zion  was  a  temporary  struc- 
ture, to  be  used  only  until  such  time  as  the  plans  which 
the  king  had  for  a  more  noble  sanctuary  could  be  carried  into 
execution.  The  thought  of  his  own  palatial  residence  and  the 
comparison  that  followed  between  it  and  the  curtain-protected 
ark  disturbed  David's  peace  of  mind.2  On  communicating 
his  intention  to  erect  a  worthy  edifice  in  which  to  place  this 
emblem  of  the  divine  presence  it  appears  that  he  received  from 
the  prophet  Nathan  a  sanction.3  However,  on  the  night  fol- 
lowing David's  avowal  of  his  plans  and  Nathan's  encourage- 
ment the  "word  of  the  Lord  "  altered  the  plans  by  informing 
the  king  that  not  during  his  own  reign,  but  during  that  of  his 
son  should  the  actual  construction  be  done.  Not  discouraged 
by  this  change  David  immediately  began  with  royal  generosity 
and  sublime  faith  to  prepare  the  material  for  a  structure  he  was 
never  to  behold. 

The  place  where  the  house  of  the  Lord  was  to  stand  was 
chosen  by  divine  direction  in  David's  lifetime.  At  the  thresh- 
ing floor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite,  the  angel  of  the  pestilence 
that  followed  the  sin  of  the  numbering  of  the  people  put  up  his 
sword  and  there  by  command  of  the  angel,  David  "  set  up  an 
altar  to  the  Lord  "  and  offered  "  burnt-offerings  and  peace-of- 
ferings" which  were  acceptable  unto  the  Lord.  This  thresh- 
>  I  Chron.  xv.  29.  *  2  Sam.  vii.  2.  3  2  Sam.  vii.  3 


32  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ing  floor  was  purchased  from  the  Jebusite  for  six  hundred 
shekels  weight  of  gold.1 

The  threshing  floor  of  Araunah  was  doubtless  similar  to 
many  that  may  be  seen  on  the  rocky  hilltops  of  Palestine  to- 
day. It  was  an  exposed  summit  where,  when  the  grain  had 
been  tramped  out,  the  winnowing  could  be  done  easily  by 
means  of  the  unhindered  breezes  that  would  blow  over  it. 
But  its  level  surface  would  not  be  at  all  sufficient  for  the  needs 
of  the  temple.  One  of  the  works  of  preparation  was  to  elevate 
the  sloping  sides  of  the  hill  and  make  a  level  platform. 
"The  strangers  that  were  in  the  land  of  Israel"  which  David 
commanded  to  gather  together2  may  have  been  set  to  this 
work,  though  it  was  left  to  Solomon  to  complete  this  truly 
wonderful  piece  of  engineering.  David's  real  work,  however, 
was  in  amassing  gold  and  silver,  iron  and  brass  "  in  abundance 
without  weight."3  Cedar  wood  was  brought  from  the 
Lebanon  by  the  Zidonians  and  Tyrians.  Precious  stones  for 
temple  ornamentation  were  stored  up.  Special  taxes  were 
levied  and  masons  were  set  to  hewing  wrought  stones.  So 
that  when  Solomon  came  to  the  actual  work  of  construction 
he  found  at  his  hand  a  supply  of  materials  that  numbers  could 
not  indicate.4 

Besides  all  this  prepared  material  David  handed  over  to  his 
son  and  successor  the  plan  of  the  entire  structure  that  was  to 
be  "The  pattern  of  all  he  had  by  the  spirit,"5  the  temple 
with  its  porches,  chambers  and  courts.     No  details  were  lack- 

'  I  Chron.  xxi.  25.  About  $5,250.  This  appears  a  large  amount  for  a 
mere  Oriental  threshing  floor,  but  in  the  purchase  was  doubtless  included 
all  that  part  of  the  hill  of  Moriah  that  was  afterward  enclosed  by  the 
temple  precincts.  This  place,  now  occupied  by  the  mosque  of  Omar  and 
known  as  the  Haram  area,  has  the  singular  distinction  of  being  the  only 
sacred  place  within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  whose  identity  has  not  been 
seriously  disputed  in  modern  times. 

2  I  Chron.  xxii.  2.  3  Ibid.  xxii.  3. 

*Ibid.  xxii.  14-16.  5  1  Chron.  xxviii.  12— 2\, 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  33 

ing  even  to  the  prescribing  of  the  orders  of  the  priests  and 
Levites  and  the  porters  at  the  gates. 

Of  the  other  public  works  of  David  only  the  names  are 
known.  Of  his  making  probably  were  the  "  royal  gardens,"  as 
Josephus  calls  them,  which  were  located  near  Joab's  well,  at 
the  junction  of  the  valleys  of  Hinnom  and  Kedron,  just  south 
of  the  city.  He  also  prepared  in  the  fortress  of  Zion  the 
sepulchre  which  in  time  received  him  and  most  of  his  success- 
ors. 

The  closing  years  of  David's  reign  were  free  from  foreign  wars. 
There  was  indeed  little  to  fear  from  the  enmity  of  his  neigh- 
bors :  the  power  of  Assyria  was  broken  ;  Egypt,  under  the  last 
kings  of  the  twentieth  dynasty,  was  in  decay ;  Philistia  had 
been  humbled  and  was  confined  to  a  narrow  section  of  her 
former  territory;  the  friendship  of  Tyre  was  sincere.  The 
kingdom  Solomon  inherited  reached  from  the  Maritime  plain 
to  the  Euphrates,  toward  the  north  including  Damascus,  and 
as  far  south  as  the  Red  Sea. 

David's  death  occurred  about  the  year  1015  B.  C.  Under 
God  he  had  been  the  founder  of  Israel's  greatness  and  of  the 
glory  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  the  very  soul  of  Hebrew  enter- 
prise. He  was  great !  If  at  times  he  forgot  his  honor  as  a 
man  he  repented  in  sincerity  and  with  the  humility  of  a  great 
soul.  He  had  that  rare  gift,  knowing  how  to  rule  as  an  abso- 
lute king  and  be  loved  as  a  friend  by  those  over  whom  he 
ruled.  He  had  another  faculty,  still  less  common,  being  able 
to  touch  the  heart-strings  of  humanity  in  all  ages  and  make 
them  throb  in  unison  with  his  own  Godward  emotions.  These 
inspired  songs  of  David  would  have  made  his  name  great  even 
though  he  had  no  other  claims  upon  posterity. 

Solomon  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  a  nation  united  in  itself 
and  at  peace  with  the  world.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
petty  factions  which  were  soon  reconciled,  his  inheritance  was 
all  that  could  be  desired.  Soon  after  his  accession  he  began 
the  erection  of  the  Temple.     The  plan  which  had  been  given 


34  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

him  for  the  new  structure  was  not  original ;  the  temple  was  to 
be  little  more  than  a  large  copy  in  stone  of  the  ancient  wilder- 
ness tabernacle,  the  pattern  of  which  God  showed  to  Moses  at 
Sinai.  The  arrangement  of  parts  in  the  tabernacle  and  tem- 
ple were  identical ;  they  differed  only  in  size ;  the  measure- 
ments of  the  temple  were  just  double  those  of  the  tabernacle. 
An  examination  of  these  measurements  will  reveal  to  us  that 
the  temple — wonderful  in  many  respects — was  of  meagre  di- 
mensions. It  was  only  ninety  feet  in  length,  thirty  in  width 
and  forty-five  in  height;  yet  the  finished  work  was  deserving 
of  all  the  praise  that  has  been  bestowed  upon  it.  It  was  not 
size — though  we  shall  see  that  some  parts  of  the  work  con- 
nected with  it  were  cyclopean — but  exquisite  workmanship 
and  splendor  of  ornamentation  that  have  made  this  temple 
world-famous  for  all  time.  To  the  Hebrews  of  that  early  day 
it  was  a  most  impressive  structure,  both  for  the  splendor  of  its 
architectural  appointments  and  for  its  religious  significance. 
They  were  not  then  and  never  have  been  a  nation  of  great 
builders,  and  without  foreign  assistance  it  is  not  likely  that 
they  could  have  brought  their  temple  to  completion.  At  Solo- 
mon's request  '  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  sent  his  master-work- 
men of  every  class  to  superintend  the  construction  and  perform 
much  of  the  labor.  Thirty  centuries  ago  the  Tyrian  workmen 
were  forgotten,  but  on  the  Temple  Hill  their  work  may  still  be 
seen  with  the  unmistakable  Phoenician  marks  upon  it. 

"  Incredible  "  has  been  the  exclamation  of  many  who  have 
considered  the  biblical  account  of  the  number  of  men  em- 
ployed and  the  wealth  expended  on  the  preparation  for  and 
construction  of  that  temple.  The  spoils  of  thirty  years  of 
successful  warfare,  the  revenues  of  the  richest  of  kings,  costly 
presents  from  neighboring  monarchs,  all  these  were  consumed 
in  that  work.  The  treasures  David  had  collected  were  so 
enormous  in  value  that  the  brain  is  bewildered  in  an  attempt 
to  compute  them.     It  has  been  estimated  that  Solomon  in- 

1  I  Kings  v. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  35 

herited  from  his  father  thirteen  millions  of  pounds  (Troy)  of 
gold  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  millions  of  pounds  of 
silver.  No  less  amazing  is  the  number  of  men  employed. 
Ten  thousand  hewers  of  wood  were  in  the  forests  of  Lebanon, 
felling  the  cedars  and  working  them  into  the  desired  shapes. 
This  force  worked  for  eleven  years.  There  were  seventy 
thousand  common  laborers  whose  duty  was  to  bear  burdens. 
Eighty  thousand  quarrymen  and  dressers  of  stone  were  kept 
busy,  while  over  them  were  three  thousand  superintendents.1 
In  all  there  were  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  men  en- 
gaged. Some  idea  of  the  immensity  of  the  work  necessary  to 
prepare  Mount  Moriah  for  the  temple  can  be  gained  from  these 
figures.  The  sides  and  summit  of  the  mountain  were  com- 
pletely altered.  Therefore  in  expressing  an  opinion  as  to  the 
reliability  of  the  biblical  figures,  the  greatness  of  the  substruc- 
tures— almost  equal  to  mountain  building — must  be  borne  in 
mind ;  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  was,  so  far  as  we  know, 
all  hand  labor,  and  that,  though  much  of  the  work  cannot  now 
be  traced,  there  is  evidence  that  it  was  far  greater  than  is 
usually  supposed.  The  immensity  of  some  of  that  masonry, 
still  remaining  where  Solomon's  builders  placed  it,  causes 
more  wonder  in  the  fact  that  it  was  built  at  all  than  that  it 
took  so  many  thousands  of  men  years  to  do  it.  Some  of  those 
stones  were  brought  from  the  Lebanons  and  some  from  Bethle- 
hem, though  the  greater  part  were  quarried  near  the  city, 
probably  in  what  is  now  known  as  Solomon's  Quarries.  But 
whether  brought  from  near  or  far  the  puzzling  thing  about 
them  is  how  they  were  brought. 

The  actual  work  of  temple  construction  began  in  the  third 
month  of  the  year  1012  B.  c,  the  fourth  year  of  Solomon's 
reign  and  the  four  hundred  and  eightieth  after  the  Exodus.  It 
was  completed  in  eight  years  and  five  months.2  Language  has 
been  exhausted  in  attempts  adequately  to  describe  it  when 
it  was  completed  and   stood   in  its   grandeur.     In   richness 

1  I  Kings  v.  13-18.  s  I  Kings  vi.  38. 


36  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  exquisite  finish,  though  not  in  size,  it  surpassed  the 
great  temples  of  Egypf  and  Babylon ;  it  transcended  all  that 
the  world  had  seen.  In  contributing  artificers  Hiram  of  Tyre 
thus  introduced  Phoenician  ideas  into  the  construction  of  this 
temple.  It  is  true  that  but  little  is  known  of  the  architecture 
of  this  great  commercial  people,  but  wherever  on  coin  or  vase 
a  design  of  one  of  their  sacred  edifices  has  been  found,  it  is 
fronted  with  a  pillar,  or  pillars,  similar  to  those  that  graced 
the  front  of  Solomon's  temple.  It  has  generally  been  con- 
ceded, also,  that  from  Egypt  the  builders  of  Israel  received 
suggestions.  That  there  is  a  resemblance  is  true,  but  the  ef- 
fort to  prove  the  entire  indebtedness  of  the  Jews  to  the  tem- 
ple-builders of  the  Nile  valley  has  not  found  warrant  in  the 
facts.  This  resemblance  is  confined  to  the  courts  and  clois- 
ters, the  porch  and  the  dark  adytum.  In  the  mural  decora- 
tions there  is  also  a  likeness,  but  the  "figures  of  cherubim  and 
palm-trees  and  open  flowers"  are  a  contrast  to  those  figures  of 
gods  and  goddesses  and  men  which  were  the  chief  ornaments 
of  the  temple  walls  of  Thebes  and  Karnak.  Some  see  an 
Egyptian  idea  in  the  pyramidal  form  of  the  towers.1  Admit- 
ting these  apparent  resemblances  there  is  one  respect  in 
which  the  House  of  the  Lord  on  Moriah  differs  from  all  the 
others.  Its  courts  were  "  pleasant " ;  there  was  nothing  defiling 
near  them.  In  or  near  there  was  nothing  suggestive  of  im- 
morality or  impurity.  What  little  imagery  there  was,  detracted 
in  no  way  from  the  spiritual  significance  of  the  whole.  It  was 
a  fit  resting  place  for  the  ark  and  the  tabernacle,  and  here 
they  were  fixed,2  never  to  be  separated  until  the  temple  was 
destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon. 

The  temple  proper  stood  on  the  highest  part  of  Mount  Mo- 
riah, a  little  to  the  west  of  the  present  Kubbet  es-Sakhra,  or 
Dome  of  the  Rock.  The  rock  at  the  surface  had  been  cut 
away  to  make  a  level  platform.     On  this  platform  none  but 

1  Stanley's  "Jewish  Church,"  Vol.  II. ,  p.  174. 

2  1  Kings  viii.  4,  etc. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  37 

the  priesthood  were  ever  admitted.  Within  the  sacred  walls 
of  the  temple  there  were  but  two  small  rooms,  that  to  the  east 
the  Holy  Place,  that  to  the  west  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Plates 
of  beaten  gold  hid  every  particle  of  woodwork.  Into  the 
carvings,  representing  the  cherubim  and  the  lily-work,  gold 
was  beaten.  Darkness  reigned  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  no  light 
entering  it  except  through  the  portal  from  the  Holy  Place, 
over  which  a  heavily  wrought  curtain  hung.  Within  this  most 
sacred  place  were  two  massive  figures  of  solid  gold  whose  wings 
reached  from  wall  to  wall  and  were  emblems  of  protection  to 
the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  which  found  rest  beneath  them. 
Here  was  the  earthly  abode  of  Jehovah  and  it  was  accepted 
"  amidst  evident  tokens  of  the  Divine  Presence."  No  eye  was 
to  peer  into  the  sacred  enclosure  and  no  foot  pollute  it  except 
those  of  the  high-priest  and  that  but  once  a  year  on  the  great 
day  of  Atonement. 

A  "wall  of  partition"  stood  between  the  Most  Holy  and 
the  Holy  Place.  This  latter  was  never  to  be  entered  except  by 
priestly  feet.  It  was  but  dimly  lighted  from  without  by  small 
windows,1  but  this  lack  of  natural  light  was  made  up  for  by  an 
array  of  golden  candlesticks.  Ten  seven  branched  golden 
candlesticks  stood  on  as  many  golden  tables.  They  gave  all 
necessary  light  and  must  have  made  very  effective  in  appear- 
ance the  sculptured  forms  of  winged  creatures  and  palm-trees, 
which,  carved  in  the  cedar  walls,  were  overlaid  with  beaten 
gold  and  garnished  with  precious  stones.2  In  the  "greater 
house,"  as  the  Holy  Place  was  also  called,  stood  the  altar  of 
incense  and  the  table  of  shew-bread,  from  which  ascended 
daily  the  cloud  of  incense  and  on  which  was  presented  the 
offering  of  consecrated  loaves.  The  whole  was  a  vision  in 
pure  gold. 

Fronting  the  Holy  Place  was  a  porch,  "the  most  startling 
novelty  of  the  building."  3     It  extended  along  the  entire  front 

1  I  Kings  vi.  4.  *  2  Chron.  iii.  5-7. 

3  Stanley's  "  Jewish  Church,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  178. 


38  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

of  the  temple,  was  elaborate  and  complicated  in  design  and 
more  than  any  other  part  of  the  structure  reveals  the  ideas  of 
foreign  architects.  It  was  more  than  a  porch,  as  the  term  is 
now  used,  and  was  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  height  of  the 
building  proper.1  The  most  striking  feature  of  this  "startling 
novelty"  were  the  two  large  pillars  that  stood  one  on  either 
side  of  the  entrance,  known  as  Jachin  and  Boaz.  These  pillars 
were  of  finest  brass,  resting  upon  pedestals  of  gold  and  crowned 
with  chapiters  of  brass,  wrought  with  "network  interwoven 
with  small  palms  and  covered  with  lily-work."  Around  the 
chapiters,  festooned  in  double  rows,  were  two  hundred  pome- 
granates. Jewish  writers  are  unwearied  in  their  praise  of  the 
grand  effect  of  these  pillars;  but  the  object  of  this  device  and 
its  symbolic  significance  are  in  doubt,  though  theories  as  to 
their  significance  are  not  lacking. 

Another  feature  of  the  temple,  having  no  counterpart  in 
the  tabernacle,  were  the  rooms  built  around  it  abutting  on 
the  temple  walls.  These  were  thirty  in  number  and  in  three 
stories.2  One  room  opened  into  another  and  a  winding  stair- 
case led  from  story  to  story.  No  communication  was  possible 
between  these  rooms  and  the  temple  itself.  The  rooms  were 
necessary  adjuncts  to  the  temple,  being  used  as  storehouses 
for  the  utensils  employed  in  the  services'  and  for  the  deposit- 
ing of  sacred  and  historic  trophies.  There  appear  also  to 
have  been  rooms  above  the  Holy  Place  and  Holy  of  Holies. 

Such  was  the  temple ;  on  the  outside  a  combination  of 
stone  and  wood ;  on  the  inside  a  mass  of  gold  and  precious 
stones.  It  had  been  erected  without  the  sound  of  the  work- 
men's tools  being  heard  within  the  sacred  enclosure.  The 
plan  was  so  well  understood  by  the  architects  that  the  various 
parts  were  made  in  different  places,  then  brought  to  the  sacred 
mount  and  fitted  each  to  each  in  silence.  The  stones  had 
been  so  accurately  dressed  that  when  laid  one  upon  the  other 
the  line  of  meeting  could  hardly  be  traced.  It  was  the  per- 
1  2  Chron.  iii.  4.  s  Jos.  Ant.  viii.  3,  §  2.  3  2  Chron.  v.  I. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  39 

fection  of  architecture  as  then  understood,  and  the  perfection 
of  beauty.  No  structure  ever  made  a  greater  and  more  lasting 
impression  on  the  minds  of  any  people  than  their  first  temple 
made  upon  the  Jews ;  none  has  received  such  generous  praise 
in  all  ages  and  from  all  people,  or  been  regarded  with  such 
tearful  reverence  by  the  living  representatives  of  the  race 
whose  fathers  built  it. 

To  speak  in  detail  of  all  Solomon's  work  on  the  Temple 
Hill  would  carry  us  beyond  the  province  of  a  work  of  this 
kind.  The  courts,  the  altars,  the  lavers,  the  rooms  for  the 
priests,  the  implements  and  vessels  of  gold,  silver  and  brass, 
running  into  the  thousands  in  number,  all  these  are  interesting 
as  works  of  art  and  as  expressive  of  the  complexity  of  the 
temple  service.  In  the  native  rock,  or  built  in  the  substruc- 
tures that  brought  the  lower  levels  up  to  the  desired  height, 
were  immense  cisterns.  Canals  for  the  conveyance  of  water 
for  the  numerous  ablutions  connected  with  the  service  and 
drains  for  the  carrying  away  of  the  refuse  were  constructed 
and  undoubted  remains  of  them  may  still  be  seen. 

There  are  two  features  of  the  temple  surroundings  which 
must  at  least  be  named.  These  were  the  altar  of  burnt-offer- 
ing and  the  colonnade  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  enclosure. 
The  former  was  on  the  highest  part  of  the  rock  of  Mori  ah 
and  stood  just  a  little  in  front  of  the  temple.  It  contrasted 
strikingly  with  the  splendor  of  the  other  appointments,  being 
but  an  enlargement  of  the  altar  used  during  the  wilderness 
wandering.  It  was  thirty  feet  square  and  fifteen  feet  high. 
The  exterior  was  of  brass,  while  the  altar  itself  was  of  earth 
and  stones.  The  top  was  covered  by  a  brass  grating  on  which 
the  fire  was  made  and  the  victim  for  the  sacrifice  laid.  This 
was  "the  Hearth  of  God,"  where  was  daily  illustrated  the 
e;:piatory  idea  of  the  Jewish  religion. 

The  colonnade  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  enclosure  facing 
tl  e  Mount  of  Olives.  In  later  times  succeeding  kings  added 
to  this  until  it  surrounded  the  entire  temple  area.     Solomon's 


4-0  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

work  was  confined  to  the  one  side,  and  long  centuries  after- 
ward, even  when  Herod's  temple  had  taken  the  place  of  this 
first  one,  the  name  of  Solomon  was  applied  to  this  part.  The 
colonnade  consisted  of  three  rows  of  marble  columns  protected 
by  a  roof,  thus  forming  a  cool  retreat  in  summer  and  a  pro- 
tection from  the  storms  in  winter. 

The  temple,  while  by  far  the  grandest  of  Solomon's  build- 
ing operations,  was  but  one  of  many  princely  works.  Every 
part  of  his  capital  felt  the  touch  of  his  lavish  hand.  His  own 
palace,  erected  in  the  City  of  David,  was  a  royal  residence  in- 
deed. The  time  used  in  the  construction  of  this — thirteen 
years, — together  with  the  number  of  apartments  in  connection 
with  it,  mark  it  as  second  only  in  grandeur  to  the  House  of 
the  Lord.  The  main  building  was  only  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long,  seventy-five  wide  and  forty-five  high.  It  was  in 
three  stories  and  had  a  grand  porch  supported  by  lofty  pillars. 
The  adjacent  buildings  were  those  in  which  the  king  resided 
with  his  court  and  harem.  To  the  main  building  was  given 
the  name  of  "  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  "  ;  this  be- 
cause of  the  material  used  in  its  construction.1  Next  to  this 
was  the  judgment  hall,  built  of  cedar  and  squared  stones. 
This  was  the  "gate  of  judgment,"  where  from  a  throne  of 
ivory  the  wise  king  decreed  righteousness  and  administered 
justice.  This  throne  was  unique.  The  ivory  had  been  brought 
from  Africa  or  India.  On  each  side  of  the  steps  that  led  up 
to  it  were  six  golden  lions.  The  throne  itself  was  on  the  back 
of  a  golden  bull.2  The  lions  were  emblematic  of  the  lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  bull  of  Ephraim.  This  combination 
of  ivory  and  gold  into  a  seat  of  judgment  made  the  famous 
throne  of  the  House  of  David,  "  the  theme  of  many  an  Ara- 
bian legend."3  In  the  house  which  Solomon  built  for  his 
Egyptian  queen  nothing  was  lacking  that  skill  and  wealth 
could  supply. 

1  I  Kings  vii.  2.  *  Jos.  Ant.  viii.  5,  §  2. 

3 Stanley's  "Jewish  Church,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  166. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  41 

Of  all  the  apartments  connected  with  the  palace  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  speak  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  The 
Bible  and  Josephus  are  our  only  authorities  and  Josephus  adds 
but  little  to  the  sacred  record.  A  difficulty  in  the  way  of  ex- 
actness is  due  to  our  ignorance  of  the  precise  meaning  of 
Hebrew  architectural  terms.  This  makes  all  descriptions  little 
better  than  theories.  However,  enough  is  known  to  assure  us 
that  in  the  city  as  Solomon  left  it  nothing  was  lacking  that 
could  add  to  its  grandeur.  It  was  the  capital  of  an  Oriental 
monarch  and  despot  whose  will  was  law  and  whose  every  wish 
must  be  gratified  no  matter  what  the  cost.  His  servants  and 
retainers  were  numbered  by  thousands,  his  table  was  weighted 
with  service  of  gold,  and  the  world  was  levied  upon  for  deli- 
cate viands.  His  household,  with  his  guests,  consumed  daily 
thirty  oxen  and  a  hundred  sheep,  with  game  of  all  kinds. 
This  extravagant  use  of  unlimited  wealth  excited  the  wonder 
and  aroused  the  envy  of  contemporary  monarchs. 

In  the  midst  of  his  other  labors  Solomon  saw  the  necessity 
of  strengthening  the  defences  of  the  city.  Pride  had  a  place 
in  these  improvements,  for  Josephus  informs  us  that  Solomon 
"  thought  the  walls  that  encompassed  Jerusalem  ought  to  cor- 
respond to  the  dignity  of  the  city."  Accordingly  the  walls 
were  made  stronger  and  higher,  and  great  towers  were  built 
upon  them.  At  this  time  also  the  Temple  Hill  was  brought 
within  the  city.  Some  of  the  remains  of  these  walls  still 
stand,  revealing  the  character  of  the  mural  work  of  that  day. 

The  ascent  by  which  the  king  went  up  to  the  House  of  the 
Lord  was  a  gigantic  and  splendid  work.  This  was  a  bridge 
that  crossed  the  valley  that  intervened  between  Mount  Zion 
and  the  Mountain  of  the  House,  or  Mount  Moriah.  This  is 
the  "ascent"  that  excited  the  admiration  of  the  "Queen  of 
Sheba." 

Another  of  Solomon's  great  works  was  the  procuring  of  an 
abundance  of  water  for  city  and  temple  use.  It  has  been  a 
continual  wonder  how  Jerusalem  was  supplied  with  this  most 


42  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

necessary  commodity.  The  "Virgin's  Fountain"  is  the  only 
living  spring  near,  and  unless  its  flow  was  considerably  more 
copious  than  at  present  it  would  not  suffice  for  the  needs  of 
very  many  of  the  residents  of  the  city.  It  is  a  matter  of  history, 
however,  that  Jerusalem  never  suffered  from  lack  of  water  even 
during  periods  of  drought  or  long  protracted  sieges.  Famine 
has  raged  within  the  walls  and  slain  its  thousands,  but  only 
once  did  the  besieged  want  for  water.  This,  as  Josephus  re- 
ports, was  in  the  one  hundred  and  sixty-second  Olympiad,1 
during  the  siege  of  Antiochus. 

The  sources  of  Jerusalem's  water  supply  were  the  heavy 
rains  of  winter,  which  were  caught  and  preserved  in  cisterns, 
and  the  springs  in  the  valley  of  Urtas,  about  eight  miles  south 
of  the  city,  whose  abundant  flow  was  conducted  by  an  aque- 
duct along  the  Judean  hillsides  and  emptied  into  a  reservoir 
within  the  temple  enclosure.  The  making  of  this  aqueduct 
was,  for  that  day,  a  wonderful  piece  of  engineering.  The 
three  large  pools  in  the  valley  of  Urtas,  which  are  still  called 
Solomon's  Pools,  give  an  idea  of  the  immensity  of  this  work. 
In  many  places  along  the  hillsides  the  aqueduct  may  still  be 
seen  and  to  this  day  the  Bethlehemites  use  it  to  bring  water  to 
their  city.  This  conduit,  connected  with  the  "Fountain 
sealed,"  was  the  source  of  that  continual  supply  which  the 
temple  and  city  enjoyed,  and  its  great  resources  gave  to  later 
visitors  the  idea  that  there  was  a  perennial  spring  bubbling  up 
within  the  temple  area.  Not  knowing  of  the  connection  be- 
tween the  Urtas  fountain  and  the  cisterns,  and  hearing  the 
water  running,  or  perhaps  seeing  it  at  some  opening,  it  was 
not  unreasonable  to  infer  that  there  was  a  natural  spring  near. 
There  are  still  people  who  are  inclined  to  this  belief,  though 
there  is  nothing  whatever  to  support  it.  If  there  were  such  a 
spring  there  would  have  been  no  need  for  the  immense  labor 
and  expense  of  making  the  pools  and  aqueduct. 

The  city  was  improved  and  beautified  by  these  princely 
1  Jos.  Ant.  xiii.  8,  £  2. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  43 

operations  when  "all  that  Solomon  desired  to  build "  was 
completed.  But  his  works  of  construction  were  not  confined 
to  the  city  proper.  Temples  and  fanes  dedicated  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  gods  of  his  various  wives,  were  the  ornaments  of 
the  neighboring  hills.  Though  considered  as  abominations  by 
the  more  orthodox  Jews  of  that  time,  they  were  allowed  to  re- 
main to  the  latest  times  of  the  monarchy.  On  the  southern 
spur  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  was  the  temple  of  the  worship  of 
his  Egyptian  queen,  and  because  of  this  defilement  that  part 
of  the  mount  is  still  called  "  the  Hill  of  Offence." 

Much  labor  was  spent  on  the  roads  leading  to  the  city. 
These  were  well  made  and  paved  with  hard  black  stones,  per- 
haps the  basalt  from  east  of  the  Jordan  or  from  Galilee. 
Josephus  speaks  of  these  roads  in  the  highest  terms.1  The 
building  of  them  gave  the  king  another  opportunity  for  the 
display  of  his  wisdom  and  his  wealth. 

During  Solomon's  occupancy  of  the  throne  Jerusalem  be- 
came a  commercial  centre.  On  the  great  highway  of  trade 
between  the  East  and  the  West,  caravans  were  continually 
coming  and  going ;  the  roads  running  in  from  every  direction 
looked  like  the  spokes  of  a  great  white  wheel  of  which  the  city 
was  the  hub;  commercial  transactions  were  carried  on  with 
nations  most  remote ;  the  royal  vessels  were  seen  on  all  seas ; 
a  fleet  was  constructed  at  Ezion-Geber,  a  city  on  the  western 
arm  of  the  Red  Sea,  which  controlled  the  eastern  trade;  its 
vessels  sailing  as  far  as  Ophir — the  extreme  East ;  Jewish 
merchantmen  vied  with  those  of  the  maritime  city  of  Tyre  for 
the  trade  of  the  West,  and  that  Tyre  lost  by  this  rivalry  is  in- 
dicated by  Ezekiel.2 

How  far  eastward  and  westward  the  ships  of  Solomon  sailed 
is  not  known.  Ophir  may  have  been  in  India,  though  some 
locate  it  in  Africa,  because  of  the  latter's  reputation  as  a  gold- 
producing  country.  Tarshish  was  a  city  of  Spain,  though 
having  journeyed  thus  far  there  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that 
1  Jos.  Ant.  viii.  7,  \  4.  3  Ezek.  xxvi.  2. 


44  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

they  went  further,  passing  beyond  the  fabled  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules and  reaching  Britain.  Centuries  later,  when  Columbus 
sailed  westward  and  discovered  the  islands  lying  east  of 
North  America,  he  believed  he  had  found  the  lands  whence 
the  wealth  of  Solomon  had  come,  and  named  the  islands  the 
West  Indies.  It  has  been  suggested  as  an  explanation  of  the 
length  of  time — three  years 1 — that  it  took  to  make  some  of 
their  voyages,  that  the  Jewish  vessels  must  have  circumnavi- 
gated Africa.  The  nature  of  the  cargoes  brought  back  favors 
the  suggestion,  for  they  consisted  of  "gold  and  silver,  ivory 
and  apes  and  peacocks,"  aloes,  almug  wood  and  cassia.  This 
commercial  enterprise  was  one  of  the  fertile  sources  of  Israel's 
great  wealth  at  this  time ;  it  may  also  have  helped  to  hasten 
that  degeneracy  which  before  long  was  to  result  in  the  disrup- 
tion of  the  nation. 

The  kingdom  over  which  the  word  of  Solomon  was  law, 
was  greater  in  extent  than  that  governed  by  any  succeeding 
Jewish  monarch.  The  promise  of  God  to  Abraham  was  ful- 
filled during  the  reign  of  this  king  or  not  at  all.  Scripture 
language  is  sufficiently  exact  on  this  point  to  warrant  us  in 
saying  that  the  territory  over  which  Solomon  ruled  did  include 
"  the  Land  of  Promise."  The  covenant  with  Abraham  reads, 
"Unto  thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of 
Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates."  Of  Solomon 
the  record  says,  "He  reigned  over  all  kingdoms,  from  the 
river  unto  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  and  unto  the  borders  of 
Egypt."  In  the  thirty-fourth  chapter  of  Numbers,  Moses  gives 
the  boundaries  of  the  land  the  Israelites  were  to  possess.  The 
southern  border  was  the  "wilderness  of  Zin  " ;  the  northern 
border  was  unto  the  "  entrance  of  Hamath."  Under  Joshua 
this  described  territory  was  conquered  by  the  soldiers  of  Israel. 
When  the  ark  was  to  be  brought  from  Kirjath-jearim,  "  David 
gathered  all  Israel  together,  from  Shihor  of  Egypt  even  unto 
the  entering  of  Hamath."  2  At  the  dedicatory  services  of  the 
I  Kings  x.  22.  s  I  Chron.  xiii.  5. 


The  City  of  David  and  Solomon  45 

temple,  "  Solomon  held  a  feast  and  all  Israel  with  him,  a  great 
congregation,  from  the  entering  in  of  Hamath  unto  the  river 
of  Egypt."  1  The  language  of  prophecy  and  of  fulfillment  is 
strikingly  similar,  and  whatever  may  be  one's  opinion  as  to 
the  return  and  resettlement  of  the  Jews,  we  certainly  do  not 
have  to  look  to  the  future  for  a  redemption  of  God's  promises 
to  Abraham. 

All  this  extent  of  country  was  under  the  sceptre  of  the 
mighty  and  magnificent  king.  Every  part  of  it  contributed  to 
the  maintenance  of  the  throne  and  the  fulfillment  of  the  royal 
ideas  of  grandeur.  But  the  enormous  revenue  was  not  suffi- 
cient. To  supply  the  want  the  taxes  were  increased  and  mo- 
nopolies for  the  benefit  of  the  royal  treasuries  were  established. 
Compulsory  labor,  similar  to  the  hated  corvee  of  Egypt,  was 
laid  upon  Solomon's  subjects.  With  good  cause  the  people 
complained,  and  thus  were  sown  the  seeds  of  revolt,  which 
ripened  during  the  reign  of  Solomon's  son,  and  whose  fruit 
was  a  disrupted  nation.  Added  to  his  oppression  of  his  peo- 
ple was  his  apostasy  from  his  God.  In  their  belief  in  the 
unity  of  God  and  their  worship  of  Him  alone  lay  the  unity 
and  strength  of  the  Hebrew  nation ;  to  destroy  that  belief  was 
to  endanger  the  existence  of  the  nation.  In  his  later  days 
Solomon  departed  from  the  purity  of  his  early  faith,  and  with 
a  desire  perhaps  of  conciliating  neighboring  princes,  he  turned 
from  Jehovah  to  ' '  Gods  many  and  Lords  many. ' '  Famed  for  his 
great  wisdom,  renowned  for  his  magnificence,  proverbial  for  his 
"glory,"  Solomon  nevertheless  bequeathed  to  his  followers  the 
destructive  heritage  of  luxury,  selfishness  and  oppression,  of 
extravagance,  sensuality  and  apostasy — a  double  trinity  of  sins 
any  one  of  which  was  fatal.  As  one  has  said2  "Not  less 
truly  than  the  son  of  Nebat  might  his  name  have  been  written 
in  history  as  Solomon  the  son  of  David  who  '  made  Israel  to 
sin.'  " 

1  I  Kings  viii.  65. 

sPlumptre  in  Smith's  Bib.  Diet,  article  "  Solomon." 


46  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

Solomon  made  Jerusalem  grand  in  external  appearance,  but 
its  temple  of  "snow  and  gold,"  its  palaces  of  surpassing 
splendor,  its  gardens  of  delight,  its  tower-embattled  walls 
could  not  conceal  its  inherent  weakness.  He  had  sacrificed 
his  nation  for  his  personal  glory.  He  came  to  the  throne  of  a 
united  people  at  peace  with  the  world.  He  lived  to  see  the 
forces  at  work  that  were  to  bring  national  dissolution  and  make 
his  proud  capital  an  easy  prey  to  ambitious  monarchs.  His 
own  magnificence  was  no  compensation  for  such  disaster.  As 
he  contemplated  the  coming  wreck  well  might  he  say,  "  What 
profit  hath  a  man  of  all  his  labor"  and,  "On  all  things  is 
written  vanity." 

After  ruling  forty  years  "  He  died  ingloriously,"  "and  was 
buried  in  the  city  of  David,  his  father."  * 

1 1  Kings  xi.  43. 


JERUSALEM  AS  CHRIST  SAW  IT 


Changes  in  Topography — Rehoboam — Jehoram — Jehoash — 
Ahaz — Rezin  and  Pekah — Assyrians — Hezekiah — Manasseh — 
Jehoiachim — Zedekiah — Disastrous  Siege — Cyrus  the  Persian — 
Return  of  the  Jews — Temple  and  Walls  Rebuilt — Alexander — 
Ptolemy  Soter — Antiochus — Mattathias — Maccabees — Aristob- 
ulus  and  Hyrcanus — Antipater — Pompey — Antigonus — Herod 
the  Great — Grandeur  of  Jerusalem — Comparison  between  Sol- 
omon and  Herod — Grecian  Influences — Herod's  Temple — Its 
Arrangement — Appearance  and  Condition  of  the  City — Tyro- 
pean  Bridge — Porches  of  Temple — Cloisters — Temple  Courts 
— Gentiles  Forbidden — Beautiful  Gate — Nicanor  Gate — Altar 
of  Sacrifice — Brazen  Laver — Description  of  Temple  Proper — 
Business  District — Kinds  of  Business — Life — Laborers — Wages 
—  Population  —  Pharisee  —  Sadducee  — Language — Schools — 
Seeds  of  Decay. 


48 


Ill 

JERUSALEM   AS   CHRIST   SAW   IT 

DURING  the  thousand  years  that  intervened  between  the 
reigns  of  Solomon  and  Herod  the  Great,  Jerusalem  had 
been  the  victim  of  many  a  siege  by  foreign  conquerors,  and 
many  a  disastrous  internal  strife.  These  had  had  their  effect 
upon  the  appearance  of  the  city ;  if  the  royal  sleepers  in  the 
tombs  in  the  City  of  David  could  have  looked  upon  its  streets 
and  palaces  and  temple,  they  would  not  have  recognized 
them  as  parts  of  the  city  they  once  knew.  The  very  hills 
had  been  altered  and  the  deep  beds  of  the  valleys  raised  by 
the  debris  of  repeated  wars.  The  same  old  walls  were  still 
standing,  but  they  had  been  broken  and  repaired  so  often  that 
the  original  builders  would  hardly  have  known  their  work. 
New  walls  had  also  been  built. 

It  may  be  well  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the  causes  of  these 
changes  before  the  changes  themselves  are  noted. 

In  the  fifth  year  of  Rehoboam, 1  successor  to  his  father, 
Solomon,  on  the  throne  of  Israel,  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt  ad- 
vanced to  Jerusalem,  threw  open  the  city  gates  apparently 
without  resistance,  appropriated  the  treasures  Solomon  had 
collected,  and  carried  off  the  rich  decorations  of  the  temple. 
The  son  of  the  great  Solomon  became  the  vassal  of  Egypt  for 
a  time.  This  was  the  first  and  one  of  the  least  destructive  of 
seventeen  sieges  before  Herod  was  in  possession  of  the  king- 
dom. 

The  next  was  under  the  reign  of  Jehoram  about  889  b.  c.  2 
A  coalition  of  the  Philistines  and  Arabians  were  the  assailants. 
Again  the  temple  with  its  accumulated  riches  was  their  prey. 
The  king's  house  was  also  entered,  "and  all  the  substance 

1  I  Kings  xiv.  25  ;  2  Chron.  xii.  9.  *  2  Chron.  xxi.  16. 

49 


£0  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

that  was  found  "  was  carried  away,  together  with  the  king's 
wives  and  sons,  except  the  youngest  of  the  latter. 

These  two  entrances  of  foreign  foes  were  simply  for  the  pur- 
pose of  plunder.  At  least  there  is  no  account  of  their  having 
had  any  other  object.  The  wealth  of  the  city  aroused  their 
cupidity,  and  when  they  had  secured  all  they  could  of  this, 
they  departed  without  doing  injury  to  the  city  itself.  But  the 
next  attack  was  more  disastrous.  It  was  made  by  Jehoash, 1 
ruler  of  the  Northern  Kingdom,  who  broke  down  four  hun- 
dred cubits  of  the  north  wall,  plundered  the  temple  of  its 
gold  and  silver  vessels,  and  also  the  treasures  of  the  royal  pal- 
ace. Uzziah  repaired  this  breach  and  further  fortified  the 
walls. 2  During  his  reign  the  city  was  visited  by  an  earth- 
quake, which  shook  it  to  its  foundations,  caused  a  breach 
in  the  temple  and  almost  destroyed  the  king's  gardens  near 
En  Rogel. 

In  the  reign  of  the  wicked  Ahaz, 3  about  740  b.  c,  the  next 
attack  occurred.  A  coalition  of  the  forces  of  Syria  under 
Rezin  and  of  the  Northern  Kingdom  under  Pekah  was  ef- 
fected. The  comparatively  small  realm  of  Judah  and  Benja- 
min was  not  able  to  withstand  such  a  combination,  and  great 
numbers  were  slain.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  city  itself 
surrendered  and  was  given  over  to  the  hand  of  the  spoiler. 
Later  Ahaz  called  upon  Tiglath-pileser  4  to  assist  him  against 
the  Edomites  and  Philistines — a  fatal  invitation,  for  the  Assyr- 
ian king  as  the  author  of  Second  Chronicles  tersely  puts  it, 
"came  unto  him  and  distressed  him,  but  strengthened  him 
not."  Ahaz  then  in  a  fruitless  effort  to  buy  his  friendship, 
stripped  the  temple  of  its  costly  vessels,  which  were  carried 
to  Assyria. 

Under  Hezekiah  (740-700  b.  c.)  the  country  was  invaded 
by  the  Assyrians  under  Sennacherib,5  though  what  damage,  if 
any,  was  done  to  the  city  is  not  known. 

1  2  Kings  xiv.  13,  14.         2  2  Chron.  xxvi.  9.         3  2  Chron.  xxviii. 
4  2  Chron.  xxviii.  16,  20.  5  2  Chron.  xxxii. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  51 

About  667  B.  c,  Manasseh,  king  of  Judah,  was  carried  a 
prisoner  to  Babylon.1  On  his  restoration  to  his  kingdom  he 
entered  upon  some  great  building  projects.  In  the  valley  of 
Gihon  and  on  Ophel  the  greater  part  of  his  work  was  done. 
Parts  of  the  great  wall  on  Ophel  may  still  remain,  though 
where  his  wall  "without  the  City  of  David,  on  the  west  side 
of  Gihon  in  the  valley  "  2  was  is  an  unsettled  question. 

Under  Jehoiachim  and  Jehoiachin,  Nebuchadnezzar,  king 
of  Babylon,  besieged  and  took  Jerusalem,  despoiled  the  tem- 
ple of  all  its  remaining  treasures,  which  were  replaced  after 
each  spoliation,  and  stripped  the  palaces  of  the  king  and  no- 
bles. The  royal  family  and  nobles  were  deported,  along  with 
ten  thousand  of  the  chief  men,  to  pass  the  remaining  years  of 
their  life  in  Babylon. 

In  the  next  reign,  that  of  Zedekiah,3  the  siege  by  the  "king 
of  the  Chaldees"  was  most  disastrous.  When  this  warrior  had 
finished  his  work  Jerusalem  was  depopulated  and  her  temple 
and  palaces  were  nothing  but  heaps  of  charred  ruins.  The 
walls  were  broken  down  and  all  the  citizens  who  had  escaped 
the  sword  were  deported  to  the  great  capital  of  Assyria ;  only 
a  few  peasants  were  left  to  till  the  ground.  This  first  great 
overthrow  of  their  city  has  been  considered  so  great  a  calam- 
ity by  the  Jews  that  on  its  anniversary  it  is  commemorated  by 
solemn  fasts.  This  destruction  occurred  about  the  year  588 
B.  c. ;  for  fifty  years  the  city  and  temple  remained  in  ruin  and 
desolation,  visited,  perhaps,  by  pilgrims  who  came  to  weep 
over  the  departed  glories  and  pray  for  their  return,  as  they  do 
now  at  the  Wall  of  Wailing. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  a  de- 
cree 4  was  issued  permitting  the  exiled  Jews  at  Babylon  to  re- 
turn and  build  again  their  temple  and  city.  Not  all  of  the 
expatriated  chose  to  return,  but  42,360  did.  Nor  did  they 
come  empty  handed,  for  they  were  given  "  the  vessels  of  the 

1  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  II.  z  Ibid.  14. 

3  2  Kings  xxv.  4.  4  Ezra  i.  I.  et  seq. 


£2  Jerusalem  the   Holy- 

house  of  the  Lord,  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  brought  forth 
out  of  Jerusalem."  1  The  work  of  reconstruction  of  the  temple 
began  immediately  on  their  arrival.  Hindrance  from  out- 
siders and  lack  of  zeal  on  the  part  of  the  builders  prevented 
its  completion  until  twenty  years  had  passed,  when  it  was  fin- 
ished and  dedicated  in  the  year  516  b.  c. 

Fifty-eight  years  more  passed  away  and  no  effort  was  made 
to  protect  the  city  itself.  The  walls  lay  in  heaps  as  the  Assyr- 
ians had  left  them.  It  was  not  until  the  time  of  Nehemiah 
that  sufficient  influence  was  secured  at  the  Persian  court  to  al- 
low the  Jews  to  rebuild  the  walls.  In  445  b.  c,  one  hundred 
and  forty  years  after  the  destroyer  had  left,  Nehemiah  came  to 
Jerusalem  with  the  royal  permission.  Work  was  soon  begun 
and  in  the  incredibly  short  period  of  fifty-two  days,  in  spite 
of  much  opposition,  the  walls  were  again  in  condition  to  fur- 
nish protection.2  They  were  built  on  the  old  foundations 
with  much  of  the  old  materials. 

For  a  long  time  afterward  there  was  comparative  peace,  dur- 
ing which  the  city  grew  and  prospered.  Then  Alexander  of 
Macedonia  "  rolled  back  the  tide  of  war  across  the  Helles- 
pont "  and  humbled  the  pride  of  the  Persian  monarchs. 
Having  defeated  Darius  at  the  battle  of  Issus,  this  conqueror 
reduced  to  submission  all  the  cities  and  provinces  whose  im- 
portance attracted  his  attention.  After  the  maritime  cities  of 
Tyre  and  Gaza  had  fallen,  the  Macedonian  hero  led  his  forces 
against  Jerusalem.  About  three  miles  out  of  the  city  he  was 
met  by  the  people  carrying  garlands,  by  the  priests  dressed  in 
the  white  linen  indicating  their  sacred  office,  and  preceded 
by  the  high-priest,  resplendent  in  his  robes  of  purple  and  scar- 
let and  wearing  his  mitre,  on  which  was  a  plate  of  gold  in- 
scribed with  the  not  to  be  uttered  name  of  the  God  of  Israel. 
This  peaceful  reception  secured  the  city  from  attack.  Alex- 
ander is  said  by  Josephus  to  have  prostrated  himself  before  the 
high-priest  and  then  to  have  gone  to  the  temple  and  offered 
1  Ezra  i.  7.  *  Neh.  vi.  15. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  53 

sacrifices  in  the  name  of  God :  this  is  doubted,  but  at  all 
events  the  city  was  especially  favored  by  the  conqueror. 

At  the  death  of  Alexander  and  the  disintegration  of  his  king- 
dom Judea  fell  to  Ptolemy  Soter  of  Egypt.  He  succeeded  in  tak- 
ing Jerusalem  which  he  ruled  with  an  iron  hand.  Many  of  its 
inhabitants  and  of  the  Samaritans  were  carried  off  to  Egypt, 
where  under  this  ruler  and  his  successor  they  attained  posi- 
tions of  influence  and  trust.  Their  number  increased  in  the 
land  of  the  Pharaohs  till  Alexandria  became  the  capital  of 
Western  Judaism  and  no  doubt  exercised  considerable  influ- 
ence over  the  eastern  capital.  By  way  of  Alexandria  Greece 
and  her  civilization  were  making  inroads  into  the  private  and 
religious  life  of  the  Eastern  Jews.  Then  in  203  B.  c,  Antiochus 
the  Great  took  the  city.  Four  years  later  it  fell  before  the 
Alexandrian  general  Scopas  who  left  a  garrison  to  protect  his 
interests.  The  very  next  year  Antiochus  again  came  and  the 
Jews  assisted  him  to  expel  the  Egyptians.  But  as  it  turned 
out  the  Syrian  monarch  was  no  friend  of  the  people  or  their 
religion.  Taking  advantage  of  a  quarrel  between  rival  claim- 
ants for  the  high-priesthood,  he  treated  the  city  as  seditious, 
and  in  the  year  170  b.  c,  demolished  the  walls,  burned  the 
palaces  and  stripped  the  temple  of  all  that  was  worth  taking. 
A  citadel  was  erected  where  it  could  command  the  temple  en- 
closure and  garrisoned  with  soldiers,  among  whom  were  many 
apostate  Jews.  Added  to  this  sacrilege  was  an  attempt  on  the 
part  of  Antiochus  to  exterminate  the  people  and  thus  stamp  out 
their  religion.  Ten  thousand  captives  were  deported  and  the 
sacred  altar  was  daily  defiled  by  the  offering  of  swine  upon  it. 
Reading  of  the  Law  was  forbidden  and  to  practice  its  injunc- 
tions brought  cruel  tortures  upon  the  faithful.  Under  this 
severe  pressure  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  apostatized 
from  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 

When  the  city  and  nation  had  reached  their  lowest  stage  of 
degradation  a  deliverance  was  effected  through  the  family  of 
Mattathias,  the  great  grandson  of  Asmoneus,  from  which  an- 


54  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

cestor  they  are  called  by  Josephus,  Asmoneaus.  Mattathias 
was  a  priest  whose  home  was  at  Modin,  the  present  Midiyeh, 
an  eminence  about  eighteen  miles  west  of  Jerusalem,  near  the 
union  of  the  hill  country  with  the  Plain  of  Sharon. 

Mattathias,  with  his  five  illustrious  sons,  belongs  to  the 
number  of  Israel's  most  justly  celebrated  heroes.  He  origi- 
nated, and  his  sons  sustained,  a  successful  revolt  against  Greek 
oppression.  The  account  of  their  campaigns  forms  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  chapters  to  be  found  in  history.  Under  them 
the  temple  was  repaired  and  reconsecrated,  the  Macedonian 
garrison  dislodged  from  its  fortress  on  Acra  and  the  fortress  de- 
stroyed, even  to  the  cutting  away  of  the  hill  on  which  it  stood. 
Another  stronghold  was  built  to  the  north  of  this  site  and 
named  Baris.  The  Asmonean  family  descended  through  John 
Hyrcanus,  son  of  Simon  Maccabeus.  Simon  was  murdered  at 
Jericho  in  135  b.  c.  Shortly  after  John  Hyrcanus  was  be- 
sieged in  Jerusalem  by  Antiochus  Sidetes,  king  of  Syria.  The 
valiant  spirit  of  the  Maccabees  was  diminishing,  for  this  repre- 
sentative stooped  to  purchase  peace  from  Antiochus  with  the 
proceeds  of  the  desecration  and  robbery  of  the  sepulchre  of 
David. 

The  next  few  years  are  marked  by  internal  troubles — civil 
and  religious.  The  successor  of  John  Hyrcanus  was  his  son 
Aristobulus  who  was  at  the  same  time  king  and  high-priest. 
After  reigning  a  year  this  ruler  died  of  remorse  for  his  unnat- 
ural crimes.  The  reign  of  his  brother  Alexander  Jannseus — 
the  Jewish  Nero — which  occupied  the  next  twenty-seven  years, 
was  marked  by  wars  at  home  and  abroad.  Aristobulus  and 
Hyrcanus,  sons  of  Alexander,  made  a  peaceful  settlement  of 
their  disputes  by  dividing  the  offices  held  by  their  predeces- 
sors, Hyrcanus,  the  elder,  retaining  the  high-priesthood  and 
his  brother  the  kingly  crown.  The  peace  did  not  last  long 
however.  A  new  power  began  to  be  felt  in  the  state.  Antip- 
ater,  an  Idumean,  enterprising  and  unscrupulous,  was  high  in 
the  favor  of  the  young  Hyrcanus.     He  used  this  favor  to  plot 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  55 

against  the  interests  of  his  benefactor.  By  continually  work- 
ing upon  the  mind  of  the  gentle  and  unsuspecting  high-priest, 
Antipater  made  him  believe  that  his  brother  Aristobulus  was 
seeking  to  destroy  him  so  as  to  unite  in  his  own  person  the 
priesthood  as  well  as  the  kingship.  Hyrcanus  fled  to  Petra 
where  he  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  Aretes,  king  of 
Arabia.  Antipater  had  already  let  this  ruler  into  the  plot. 
Judea  was  invaded  and  Aristobulus  defeated.  After  his  defeat 
he  fled  into  the  city  and  took  refuge  with  his  supporters  in  the 
temple.  The  party  under  Hyrcanus  besieged  the  temple. 
At  this  juncture  the  Roman  general  Scaurus,  acting  under 
commands  of  the  great  Pompey,  appeared  and  ordered  that 
the  siege  be  raised.     This  was  in  65  B.  c. 

Both  factions  had  requested  the  assistance  of  the  Romans. 
The  cause  of  Aristobulus  was  favored,  but  for  some  reason  this 
prince  was  dissatisfied  and  took  up  arms  against  his  protectors. 
Pompey  himself  on  his  advance  to  Arabia  invaded  Judea. 
Aristobulus  promised  submission,  but  soon  violated  his  prom- 
ise and  caused  Pompey  to  return  and  begin  a  siege  of  Jerusa- 
lem. The  followers  of  Aristobulus  took  refuge  in  the  temple 
again  and  offered  stubborn  resistance.  They  would  not,  how- 
ever, defend  themselves  on  the  Sabbath  and  Pompey  taking 
advantage  of  this  moved  his  engines,  made  a  breach  in  the 
north  wall  of  the  sacred  enclosure  and  was  master  of  the  entire 
city.  The  slaughter  of  the  inhabitants  amounted  to  twelve 
thousand.  Antigonus  was  established  in  the  high-priesthood. 
This  was  in  the  year  63  b.  c.  For  twenty-three  years  there 
was  comparative  rest.  Antipater,  father  of  Herod,  assisted  in 
ruling  the  city.  In  the  year  40  b.  c.  Antigonus,  son  of  Aristob- 
ulus, with  the  assistance  of  a  Parthian  army  took  Jerusalem 
and  plundered  it.  The  family  of  Antipater  had  by  this  time 
become  well  established  in  the  governing  office,  but  it  was 
with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  Herod  escaped  from  the  plots 
of  his  enemies.  After  much  adversity  and  an  appeal  in  person 
to  Rome,  Herod  was  made  King  of  Judea.     But  he  had  to  con- 


56  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

quer  his  kingdom.  With  a  large  body  of  Roman  soldiers  he 
entered  Jerusalem  after  a  five  months  siege.  Then  began  that 
reign  conspicuous  for  two  things — its  great  splendor  and  its 
awful  crimes.  The  Idumean  king  was  as  he  has  been  well 
termed  by  Williams1  a  "  splendid  monster." 

Under  this  monarch — half  barbarian,  half  Jew — Jerusalem 
rose  again  and  attained  a  grandeur  equal  to  if  not  surpassing 
the  glory  it  had  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  But  there  was  this 
difference,  that  under  the  latter  it  was  a  strictly  Jewish  metrop- 
olis, while  under  Herod  it  became  in  fact,  though  not  in 
name,  a  second  or  eastern  Rome.  And  yet  there  was  much  in 
the  later  city  that  resembled  the  earlier.  Herod,  as  did  Solo- 
mon, ruled  over  the  entire  land.  Herod,  as  was  Solomon, 
was  given  to  extravagance  and  adorned  the  city  with  numerous 
monuments  of  splendid  architecture.  Each  king  was  in- 
fluenced by  foreign  ideas,  Solomon  by  those  of  Egypt  and 
Tyre,  Herod  by  Greece  and  Rome.  The  early  and  later  city 
were  the  resort  of  strangers  from  all  lands  and  in  their  streets 
could  be  seen  representatives  from  every  known  land.  Each 
king  fortified  his  capital  and  each  adorned  Moriah  with  a 
temple.  Solomon's  was  the  first,  Herod's  the  last;  but  the 
former  was  built  in  honor  of  Jehovah  and  to  win  the  divine 
favor,  while  the  general  belief  is  that  the  latter  was  designed 
to  add  to  the  glory  of  its  builder  and  to  win  the  favor  of  his 
suspicious  subjects. 

Great  changes  were  to  be  seen  in  the  buildings  and  the  pur- 
poses to  which  they  were  devoted.  In  the  Jerusalem  of  Solo- 
mon— at  least  in  the  city  proper — there  were  no  structures 
dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  gods  of  the  nations,  or  to  the 
exhibition  of  heathen  games.  After  the  revival  of  pure  reli- 
gion under  the  Maccabees  the  office  of  the  high-priest  was  filled 
by  several  unprincipled  men  who  used  their  high  position  to 
corrupt  the  people.  Joshua,  one  of  them,  dissatisfied  in  the 
possession  of  a  Jewish  name,  changed  it  to  Jason,  and  still  un- 
1  Holy  City,  Vol.  I.,  p.  116. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  57 

satisfied  sought  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  supplant 
Judaism  by  Hellenizing  his  countrymen.  He  went  so  far  as  to 
build  a  hippodrome  and  circus  in  the  valley  just  west  of  the 
temple,  near  enough  so  that  the  voices  of  the  priest  chanting 
the  service,  could  be  drowned  by  the  tumultuous  shout  of  the 
rabble  cheering  the  victors  in  the  games.  What  a  contrast 
and  in  Jerusalem ! 

On  Herod's  accession  these  foreign  notions  of  religious  and 
social  life  obtained  among  a  considerable  portion  of  his  sub- 
jects. His  own  inclinations  favored  them  and  for  his  gratifi- 
cation, as  well  as  to  win  the  approbation  of  this  class  of  peo- 
ple, he  spared  no  expense  in  adorning  the  places  of  amusement 
with  gold  and  silver  and  the  trophies  of  victories.  He  added 
an  immense  amphitheatre  outside  of  the  second  wall  to  the 
northwest,  where  were  witnessed  chariot  races,  gladiatorial 
combats  and  entertainment  of  all  sorts  appealing  to  the  senses. 
Side  by  side  with  this  element,  representative  as  it  was  of  a 
lack  of  religion  and  a  laxity  of  morals,  was  an  intensely  Jew- 
ish element  seeking  in  the  midst  of  surrounding  heathenism  to 
guard  the  sanctity  of  religion,  and,  by  obedience  to  the 
Mosaic  institutions,  preserve  from  heathen  contamination 
the  Hebrew  life  and  character.  This  element  was  at  enmity 
with  Herod,  whose  Idumean  blood  was  reason  sufficient.  But 
no  matter  what  his  origin,  he  was  king  of  the  Jews.  He  would 
not  allow  them  to  forget  this  nor  give  them  cause  for  com- 
plaint that  he  was  wholly  unmindful  of  them  and  their  reli- 
gion. If  he  had  any  religion  it  was  the  same  as  theirs.  In 
honor  of  it,  but  more  to  reconcile  the  Jews  to  himself  he  built 
that  wonderful  temple  on  Moriah.  It  was  a  worthy  suc- 
cessor to  that  of  Solomon,  and  of  it  Jewish  tradition  records, 
"  He  who  has  not  seen  the  temple  of  Herod  has  never  known 
what  beauty  is." 

This  temple  was  a  larger  structure  than  the  first  one  that 
graced  Mount  Moriah 's  rocky  summit.  The  enclosure  in 
which  it  stood  was  also  larger.     From  investigations  made  on 


58  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  spot  by  Captain  Warren  it  is  reasonably  assured  that  the 
temple  area  as  enlarged  by  Herod  was  a  square  of  nearly  a 
thousand  feet,  nearly  a  half  greater  than  that  of  Saint  Peter's 
in  Rome.  This  enlargement  was  made  at  an  immense  cost  of 
labor  and  money.  But  the  motives  for  it  were  many.  The 
king  had  a  passion  for  building.  In  this  great  work  it  was 
gratified.  He  had  a  desire  to  surpass  the  greatest  triumph  of 
Solomon  and  be  known  as  "  the  great  builder."  The  rabbis 
of  his  time  said  that  he  was  doing  this  to  atone  for  the  slaugh- 
ter of  so  many  of  their  number.  But  no  doubt  one  of  the  rea- 
sons, if  not  the  chief,  is  that  already  given,  that  he  might  win 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  Jewish  subjects.  In  this  latter 
he  was  unsuccessful ;  they  despised  him  to  the  end. 

The  temple  did  not  stand  in  the  centre  of  the  square.  It 
was  somewhat  to  the  north  and  west  of  the  centre.  In  general 
arrangements  its  courts  were  as  those  that  surrounded  the  first 
"  house  of  the  Lord."  They  were  not  on  a  level,  but  rose  in 
a  series  of  terraces,  on  the  highest  of  which,  facing  the  east, 
was  the  ' '  golden  fane  ' '  itself.  To  collect  the  material  for  it 
Herod  employed  ten  thousand  men  under  the  direction  of  a 
thousand  priests  for  two  years.  A  thousand  vehicles  were 
needed  to  convey  the  stone.  And  yet  he  did  not  live  to  see 
it  finished  in  all  its  parts.1 

It  was  not  in  size  that  this  temple  was  conspicuous  though 
its  dimensions  were  somewhat  greater  than  that  of  the  first 
Holy  House.  It  was  ten  cubits  longer.  The  general  arrange- 
ments were  the  same.  There  was  the  Holy  of  Holies  and  the 
Holy  Place ;  the  candlestick,  table  of  shew-bread  and  altar  of 
incense.  The  finest  of  needlework  was  to  be  seen  in  the  rich 
texture  of  the  veil  that  divided  the  Holy  of  Holies  from  the 
Holy  Place.  In  the  former  apartment  there  was  nothing.  It 
was  a  simple  room,  ten  cubits  in  each  measurement,  but  void 
of  ornament  or  vessel  of  use  since  the  ark  and  its  contents  had 
been  lost  in  the  Babylonish  wars.  In  the  erection  of  the 
ijohn  ii.  20. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  59 

temple  proper  only  priests  labored.  It  was  considered  too 
sacred  a  place  for  the  feet  of  the  Ionian  artificers  to  touch. 
These  skilled  "barbarians"  could  be  employed  at  any  other 
part  of  the  work,  but  not  here.  The  priests  completed  their 
part  in  eighteen  months.  The  work  on  the  courts  and  porti- 
coes employed  Herod  eight  years ;  and  the  colonnades,  en- 
trances, halls,  offices  and  other  subsidiary  structures  required 
thirty-eight  years  longer. 

A  better  idea  of  the  arrangement  of  all  its  parts  might  be 
obtained  if  in  imagination  one  entered  the.  sacred  area  at  one 
of  the  principal  entrances.  Of  these  there  were  four  all  lead- 
ing in  from  the  west.  By  far  the  most  imposing  was  the  one 
crossing  the  Tyropean  on  the  arches  of  a  colossal  bridge  and 
entering  at  the  southwest  angle.  It  joined  the  ancient  city  of 
David  with  the  "  Royal  Porch  of  the  Temple."  This  bridge 
was  a  wonder  in  its  day,  and  probably  survived  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  city  through  the  decade  of  centuries  extending 
from  Solomon  to  the  siege  of  Titus.  Its  ruins  are  a  wonder 
in  this  present  day.  The  spring-stones  in  the  arch  in  the 
temple  wall  are  twenty-four  feet  in  length  and  six  in  thick- 
ness. Forty-two  feet  from  the  wall  Captain  Warren  discovered 
a  pier  on  which  one  of  these  arches  rested.  The  present  re- 
mains of  this  pier  are  forty-two  feet  below  the  surface.1  The 
stones  in  the  pier  are  of  the  same  quality,  of  the  same  height 
and  have  the  same  mason  marks  as  those  found  in  the  south- 
west angle  of  the  temple  wall. 

From  this  bridge  a  splendid  view  of  the  city  could  be  ob- 
tained. Looking  toward  the  south  one  could  see  on  the  left 
Ophel,  the  priest's  quarter  with  its  high  walls  and  towers,  the 
wall  running  southward,  crossing  the  Tyropean  near  the  pool 
of  Siloam  and  circling  the  southern  brow  of  Zion.  Turning 
westward  the  observer  would  see  the  Upper  City,  or  the 
"City  of  David."  Then  it  was  a  city  of  palaces,  rising  ter- 
race on  terrace,  till  in  the  northwest  corner  stood  the  citadel- 
1  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  p.  ioo. 


60  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

palace  which  Herod  had  erected  for  his  own  safety  and  com- 
fort. It  stood  in  the  midst  of  gardens  and  was  protected  by 
three  imposing  towers.  Other  residences  of  dignitaries  were 
here,  as  the  palace  of  the  Maccabees  and  that  of  Annas  the 
high-priest.  To  the  north  was  the  Xystus,  a  large  enclosure 
with  many  colonnades,  where  important  public  assemblies 
were  held  ;  while  further  on  stretched  the  new  city,  or  Beze- 
tha,  which  was  yet  unenclosed  by  walls.  Beautiful  villas  em- 
bowered in  luxuriant  gardens,  graced  the  view  in  this  direc- 
tion. The  street  which  led  to  the  important  northern  gate  was 
lined  with  columns  and  could  be  traced  to  the  point  where  it 
merged  into  the  great  north  road,  along  which  caravans  and 
pilgrims  were  continually  coming  and  going.  But  the  most 
imposing  and  most  suggestive  sight  of  all  was  that  on  the  east. 
This  swept  the  temple  enclosure  with  the  Mount  of  Olives  for 
a  background.  Of  this  let  me  quote  the  words  of  the  learned 
Alfred  Edersheim,1  "  The  temple — oh,  how  wondrously 
beautified  and  enlarged,  and  rising  terrace  upon  terrace,  sur- 
rounded by  massive  walls :  a  palace,  a  fortress,  a  sanctuary  of 
shining  marble  and  glittering  gold.  And  beyond  it  frowns 
the  old  fortress  of  Baris,  rebuilt  by  Herod,  and  named  after 
his  patron,  Antonia." 

This  bridge  of  the  Tyropean,  connecting  Zion  with  Moriah 
was  three  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  long  and  fifty  feet  broad. 
It  was  probably  "  the  ascent  .  .  .  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord  "which  aroused  the  wonder  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba.1 
The  roadway  crossing  it  joined  with  the  avenue  of  the  Royal 
Temple  Porch.  The  "  porches  "  were  not  what  is  now  meant 
when  that  term  is  used.  They  were  rather  cloisters,  and  ex- 
tended all  round  the  inside  of  the  wall  facing  the  court  of  the 
Gentiles.  No  part  of  the  temple  was,  from  an  architectural 
point  of  view,  finer  than  these.  They  were  composed  of 
double  rows  of  Corinthian  pillars,  monoliths  thirty-seven-and- 
a-half  feet  high.  The  roofs  were  richly  ornamented.  The 
1  Jesus,  the  Messiah,  Vol.  L,  p.  112.  s  1  Kings  x.  5. 


Photograph  by  Rev.  P.  Cady. 


ROBINSON'S    ARCH. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  61 

Royal  porch  had  a  treble  colonnade  made  up  of  four  rows  of 
columns  forty  in  each  row.  But  as  there  were  in  all  a  hun- 
dred and  sixty-two  it  is  supposed  that  the  two  odd  ones  served 
"as  a  kind  of  screen  where  the  'porch'  opened  upon  the 
bridge."  This  was  by  far  the  highest  of  the  porches.  Its  cen- 
tral pillars  are  said  to  have  been  a  hundred  feet  in  height. 
These  formed  a  nave,  forty-five  feet  in  width.  The  two  aisles 
were  each  thirty  feet  wide  with  pillars  fifty  feet  high.1  From 
the  top  of  this  one  looked  down  into  the  bed  of  the  Kedron 
four  hundred  and  forty  feet  below. 

The  cloisters  afforded  a  cool  retreat  in  summer  and  in  winter 
were  a  protection  against  the  heavy  rains  and  occasional  snows. 
Teachers  and  pupils  took  advantage  of  them  and  those  inter- 
ested in  public  religions  or  civil  questions  here  discussed  them. 
Audiences  were  gathered  and  orators  here  addressed  them.  It 
was  here  that  the  earthly  parents  of  the  Christ-child  found 
Him  disputing  with  the  doctors ;  and  in  the  years  of  His  public 
ministry  the  common  people  heard  Him  gladly  in  these  pre- 
cincts as  He  taught  them  the  "  spirit  "  of  the  law.  Solomon's 
porch — the  only  remnant  of  the  great  work  of  this  king — was 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  temple  enclosure.  In  this  particular 
place  "  Jesus  walked  "  and  taught  His  unity  with  the  Father.2 
Here  were  the  first  assemblies  of  the  early  Christians,  when 
they  continued  "daily  with  one  accord  in  the  temple." 

The  largest  of  the  temple  courts  was  that  enclosed  by  these 
porches  and  on  the  same  level  with  them.  To  this  court  is 
given  in  Jewish  writings  the  name  "  mountain  of  the  house."  3 
It  was  the  outer  precinct  of  the  holy  enclosure  and  was  paved 
with  marble.  It  was  public  to  the  extent  that  any  one  of  any 
or  no  religious  belief  might  enter  it  so  long  as  he  conformed  to 
certain  prescribed  rules.  It  served  the  purposes  of  a  market 
and  about  the  time  of  the  great  feasts  must  have  presented 

1  Smith's  "  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,"  Vol.  iii.,  p.  1462. 

sJohn  x.  30. 

3  Relandus  Ant.,  p.  78 ;  Edersheim's  "  Temple  and  its  Services,"  p.  22. 


62  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

scenes  having  little  resemblance  to,  and  perhaps  little  sympathy 
with,  the  sacred  observances  so  near.  There  were  stalls  for 
oxen  and  sheep,  cotes  for  pigeons  and  doves,  and  tables  where 
the  crafty  money-changers  gave  temple  coins  for  the  current 
money  of  foreign  lands,  charging  exorbitant  rates  of  exchange. 
At  intervals  in  this  court  were  notices  in  Greek  and  Latin 
warning  Gentiles  that  they  were  not  to  approach  nearer  to  the 
sanctuary  itself — an  offence  punishable  by  death. 

M.  Clermont  Ganneau  had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  one 
of  the  very  signs  of  warning.  On  a  stone  set  in  the  wall  of 
a  little  Moslem  cemetery,  just  across  the  Via  Dolorosa  from  the 
Bab  el-Aksa,  Ganneau  was  able  to  read  in  Greek  letters  the 
following  inscription  : 

"  No  stranger  is  to  enter  within  the  balustrade  round  the  temple  and 
enclosure.  Whoever  is  caught  will  be  responsible  to  himself  for  his 
death,  which  will  ensue." 

This  inscription,  the  oldest  and  perhaps  most  satisfactory 
yet  discovered  amid  the  ruins  of  the  city,  can  be  seen  in  the 
museum  at  Constantinople  ;  no  treasure  of  this  nature  that  the 
Sultan  or  his  agents  can  control  is  ever  taken  out  of  his  domin- 
ions. 

Beyond  these  posts  or  "  screens  "  of  warning  was  a  flight  of 
fourteen  steps  which  led  to  a  terrace  fifteen  feet  in  width. 
Then  came  the  inner  wall  that  surrounded  the  temple,  and  be- 
yond this  the  sanctuary  itself  with  its  three  courts,  each  higher 
than  the  former.  Nine  gates  covered  with  plates  of  gold  and 
silver  gave  entrance  to  the  sanctuary.  Of  these  six  led  into 
the  court  of  the  priests  and  three  into  the  court  of  the  women. 
Four  were  on  the  south  and  four  on  the  north  ,  the  ninth  was 
on  the  east  and  was  the  principal  entrance  as  well  as  the  richest 
in  ornamentation  and  most  imposing  in  size.  The  gate  itself 
was  of  finely  wrought  Corinthian  brass.  So  heavy  were  its 
double  folds  on  their  hinges  that  twenty  porters  were  necessary 
to  open  and  close  them.     It  was  known  also  as  "  the  Beautiful 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  63 

Gate"  and  is  associated  in  the  minds  of  Christians  with  the 
"  notable  miracle  "  of  the  healing  of  the  cripple  by  Peter  and 
John.  The  court  of  the  women,  into  which  it  opened,  was  so 
called  because  no  women  were  allowed,  except  for  sacrificial 
purposes,  to  pass  beyond  this.  In  it  both  men  and  women 
were  free  to  worship. 

Directly  opposite  the  Beautiful  Gate,  in  the  western  colon- 
nade, was  the  Nicanor  Gate.  Fifteen  steps  led  through  this 
gate  up  to  the  Court  of  Israel.  These  steps  are  generally 
thought  to  have  given  the  name  to  the  "Psalms  of  Degrees," 
fifteen  in  number,1  which  the  Levites  chanted  at  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles.  As  they  ascended  each  step  they  stopped  long 
enough  to  sing  the  psalm  that  corresponded  to  it  in  number. 
At  the  gate  Nicanor,  the  worshippers  came  to  perform  that 
which  was  ordered  to  be  done  "before  the  Lord."2  The 
priests  here  received  all  who  had  come  for  purification.  Pass- 
ing through  this  gate  the  Court  of  Israel  was  reached,  a  very 
narrow  section,  separated  from  the  Court  of  the  priests  by  a 
low  railing,  or  balustrade.  Two  steps  led  up  to  the  latter.  To 
the  right  and  left  were  chambers  used  for  the  vestments  of  the 
priest.  Directly  in  front  and  but  a  few  feet  distant  was  the 
great  altar  of  sacrifice — the  exponent  of  Israel's  religious  life. 
It  was  a  square  of  nearly  fifty  feet  and  elevated  fifteen  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  court.  Constructed  of  unhewn  stones  it 
was  void  of  ornamentation.  By  an  inclined  plane  the  offici- 
ating priests  reached  the  platform  which  extended  around  the 
altar  at  a  height  of  ten-and-a-half  feet  from  the  ground.  "A 
red  line  all  around  the  middle  of  the  altar  marked  that  above  it 
the  blood  of  sacrifices  intended  to  be  eaten,  below  it  that  of 
sacrifices  wholly  consumed,  was  to  be  sprinkled."  3 

Beyond  the  altar,  and  somewhat  to  the  left  as  one  ap- 
proached the  temple,  was  the  immense  laver  of  brass  resting 
upon  the  backs  of  twelve  lions.     Its  water  was  used  by  the 

1  Psalms  cxx.-cxxxiv.  2  "  Temple  and  its  Services,"  p.  28. 

3  Edersheim's,  "  Temple  and  its  Services,"  p.  38. 


64  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

priests  to  keep  themselves  ceremonially  clean.  It  was  filled 
every  morning  by  machinery,  having  been  drained  the  evening 
before.  The  rabbis  report  that  so  immense  was  this  machinery 
and  so  great  the  noise  made  when  it  was  being  operated  that 
it  could  be  heard  even  to  Jericho.  The  water  was  abundant ; 
brought  from  the  hills  near  Hebron,  from  Etham  and  the  Pools 
of  Solomon,  by  an  aqueduct  nearly  forty  miles  long,  it  was 
stored  in  the  immense  subterranean  cisterns  which  had  capac- 
ity for  ten  million  gallons. 

The  Holy  House  itself  is  now  before  the  beholder — a  gem 
of  the  highest  art  known  at  that  time.  With  its  porch  it  was 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  as  many  broad.  Without 
including  this  porch,  which  extended  thirty  feet  beyond  each 
side  of  the  building  proper,  the  length  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  and  the  breadth  ninety.  As  the  Holy  Place  was 
sixty  feet  long  and  thirty  broad  and  the  Most  Holy  thirty  long 
by  thirty  broad  it  will  be  seen  that  there  was  around  the  sides 
and  rear  of  the  sacred  edifice  a  space  thirty  feet  in  width 
which  has  not  been  accounted  for.  It  was  occupied  by  rooms 
devoted  to  sacred  uses.  Though  the  rooms  were  in  three 
stories  they  did  not  reach  to  the  height  of  the  main  structure. 
Rooms  were  also  built  over  the  Holy  and  Most  Holy  Places. 
The  entire  building  was  then  covered  by  a  gabled  roof  of  cedar, 
each  piece  of  which  had  been  nailed  into  position  by  a  golden 
spike. 

There  it  stood  on  the  summit  of  Moriah  in  all  its  marvellous 
beauty  of  "gold  and  snow,"  facing  Olivet  and  the  sunrising; 
the  pride  of  every  Jewish  heart,  the  centre  of  the  nation's 
thought,  the  earthly  dwelling-place  of  their  God.  In  concep- 
tion and  execution  Herod's  artificers  had  surpassed  those  of 
Solomon.  He  to  whom  the  credit  for  this  restoration  is  due 
and  who  fondly  hoped  that  it  would  give  him  a  place  in  the 
affections  of  his  subjects  and  in  the  memories  of  men  was  to 
be  disappointed.  His  people  hated  him  and  not  once  do  the 
rabbis   mention   his   name  in   connection   with   the   temple. 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  65 

They  praise  without  measure  the  completed  work,  but  for  the 
one  whose  genius  and  ambition  made  it  possible  they  have  no 
reward  but  silence. 

To  this  temple  the  child  Jesus  was  taken  to  be  presented  to 
the  Lord.  Here  His  parents  brought  Him,  that  He  might  be- 
come a  "  son  of  the  law,"  on  the  first  Passover  after  He  had 
reached  His  twelfth  year.  Here  He  came  and  taught  the 
people ;  here  He  proclaimed  His  Messiahship,  and  here  He 
was  rejected  by  "  His  own."  Of  this  temple,  with  its  mas- 
sive masonry,  built  as  if  for  eternity,  He,  in  answer  to  the  ad- 
miring remark  of  His  disciples,  "  What  manner  of  stones  and 
what  buildings  are  here,"  foretold  a  speedy  and  complete  de- 
struction. It  has  been  fulfilled.  Of  the  buildings  as  they 
then  were,  there  is  "  not  left  one  stone  upon  another  that 
has  not  been  thrown  down." 

After  passing  out  of  the  temple  enclosure  by  the  north- 
western gate  the  observer  was  soon  in  the  centre  of  the  business 
district  of  the  city.  Here  the  streets  were  narrow  and 
crowded  just  as  they  were  when  Solomon  made  Jerusalem  a 
centre  of  traffic,  and  just  as  they  are  now  though  the  present 
is  but  the  past  in  miniature.  There  was  a  noticeable  difference 
in  this  part  of  the  city.  During  the  reign  of  the  first  great 
king  the  business  and  residence  portions  were  separated.  In 
the  city  as  Christ  saw  it  the  residences  of  merchant  princes, 
and  of  the  princes  of  the  ruling  family  rose  above,  but  side  by 
side,  with  the  bazaars  and  shops.  On  the  street,  as  to-day, 
the  members  of  the  various  trades  can  be  seen  plying  their 
craft :  the  shoemaker  preparing  his  leather ;  the  cotton  worker 
using  his  odd  shaped  tool  which  resembles  a  harp  with  one 
string;  the  iron  and  brass  workers  hammering  their  wares  into 
the  required  shape,  the  scribe  sitting  on  his  mat  ready  to  write 
the  letters  of  his  patrons.  On  the  more  important  streets  were 
the  larger  shops  whose  proprietors  dealt  in  goods  and  fabrics 
of  foreign  production  and  manufacture.  Anything  in  the  way 
of  necessity  or  luxury  that  was  known  at  that  time  could  be 


66  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

purchased  in  Jerusalem.  Jewels  and  precious  metals  of  rarest 
design  and  perfectly  wrought ;  glassware,  rich  in  color  and  of 
attractive  shapes ;  silks,  fine  linens  and  woollen  stuffs  in  costli- 
est colors ;  essences  and  perfumes  of  almost  fabulous  values, — 
in  fact  everything  to  grace  the  person  and  please  the  palate, 
brought  from  the  remotest  lands  of  the  Gentiles  and  from  the 
distant  "  isles  of  the  sea,"  were  for  sale  and  found  purchasers. 

Luxuries  commanded  enormous  prices,  but  the  necessities  of 
living  were  very  cheap,  or  seem  so  to  us  at  this  age.  And  yet 
necessities  must  be  procured  at  low  figures  where  labor  brings 
but  fifteen  cents  a  day.  Skilled  labor  was  paid  something 
more.  This  is  but  little  less  than  the  amount  received  by  the 
unskilled  laborer  of  Jerusalem  to-day.  It  enables  him  to  live 
much  as  the  laborer  of  Christ's  time  must  have  lived.  Lodg- 
ing was  almost  free  and  bread  and  vegetables  sufficient  for  the 
day  could  be  purchased  for  a  few  cents.  Thus  the  two  ex- 
tremes of  society  met  in  the  city  and  were  increased  by  travel- 
lers who  had  come  to  see  the  glory  of  the  place  or  to  worship 
at  its  world-famed  temple,  and  by  laborers  who  hoped  to  find 
employment  in  the  public  works.  The  resident  population  has 
been  variously  estimated  at  from  200,000  to  250,000,  which  was 
increased  to  more  than  five  times  that  number  during  the  great 
annual  feasts.  At  such  times  the  city  must  have  been  densely 
crowded,  even  assuming  that  it  covered  twice  the  area  of  the 
modern  city,  or  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 

In  the  city  as  Christ  saw  it  there  were  two  extremes  of  re- 
ligion .  The  long-robed  Pharisee  represented  orthodox  Judaism, 
the  haughty  Sadducee  liberal  Judaism;  but  both  were  Jews  and 
were  jealous  of  their  beliefs.  Jehovah  was  supreme  and  His  law 
was  obeyed  by  each  as  it  was  interpreted  for  him  by  his  reli- 
gious leaders.  There  was  another  party  conspicuous  for  its  lack 
of  religion,  at  least  certainly  opposed  to  Judaism,  made  up  of 
renegade  Israelites  and  Gentiles  from  many  lands.  Its  mem- 
bers were  the  patrons  of  theatres  and  amphitheatres,  favorers 
of  the  ideas  of  Greece  or  of  any  country  or  people  that  con- 


Jerusalem  as  Christ  Saw  It  67 

tributed  to  the  pleasures  of  the  senses.  The  former  found  its 
chief  exponent  in  the  august  Sanhedrin,  the  latter  in  the  king 
and  his  court.  The  former  was  pious,  the  latter  frivolous. 
Likewise  there  were  two  distinct  languages  in  common  use. 
The  Semitic  in  the  form  of  the  Palestinian  Aramaic  was  the 
language  of  the  common  people,  and  was  undoubtedly  that 
used  by  Christ  and  the  disciples ;  while  the  pure  Hebrew  was 
employed  by  the  rabbis  and  priests  in  the  temple  service. 
Along  with  this  was  the  polite  Greek,  the  language  of  the 
court  and  camp. 

There  were  also  to  be  seen  side  by  side  in  the  street  and  in 
market  and  temple  the  ignorant,  unlettered  peasant  from  the 
villages  and  the  polished  product  of  the  Great  College  of  the 
Temple.  The  former  looked  with  a  feeling  of  reverence  upon 
the  latter  and  received  in  return  such  consideration  as  is  ac- 
corded brutes.  He  who  did  not  know  "the  Law"  had  no 
soul,  so  thought  and  acted  the  leaders  of  Jewish  thought. 
The  study  of  the  Law  then,  as  now  in  the  Jewish  schools  of 
Jerusalem,  was  the  chief  pursuit.  The  schools  were  numerous 
in  the  city  of  Christ's  time,  and  though  Herod  had  placed 
them  under  state  control,  were  free  to  any  who  paid  the  fees 
charged  by  the  official  porters.  The  Great  College  of  the 
Temple  inspired  and  guided  Jewish  thought  and  no  doubt  acted 
as  a  strong  bulwark  against  the  growing  skepticism  and  the 
learning  of  the  Greeks. 

Such  was  the  city  as  Christ  saw  it,  with  its  heterogeneous 
population  ruled  over  at  the  time  of  His  first  visit  by  a  king 
half  Jew,  half  Idumean,  on  His  last  by  a  procurator  of  Rome. 
Already  it  had  in  it  the  seeds  of  decay  that  were  rapidly 
germinating  and  would  soon  produce  a  harvest  of  destruction 
to  the  city  and  of  death  to  its  inhabitants.  Still  it  was  the 
city  of  David  and  Solomon,  of  the  prophets  and  inspired 
seers  of  the  past — the  City  of  God. 


THE  CITY  AS  IT  IS  TO-DAY 


How  many  times  described  ! — A  Mountain  City — Position 
— Disadvantages — First  Impressions — Geological  Facts — Ex- 
tent— Character  of  Buildings — Streets — Cleanliness — Habits  of 
the  Natives — Residences — Number  of  Inhabitants — Stores  and 
Shops — Turkish  Bazaars — Methods  in  Business — "  The  Cus- 
tom of  the  Country" — Religious  Appearance  of  the  City — 
Synagogues — Churches — Mosques — Religious  Indifference  of 
the  Moslems — Street  Scenes — Venders — Market  Day — Moslem 
Rule — Consulates — Justice — American  Privileges — Treaty  of 
1830 — Amusements — Contrast  between  Day  and  Night  in  the 
City — Modern  Progress — Jaffa  Jerusalem  Railway — Hin- 
drances to  Improvements — Telephones — No  Census — Sources 
of  Information  as  to  Population — Number  of  Jews — Number 
of  Christians — Number  of  Moslems — Jerusalem  Unique. 


,70 


rv 

THE  CITY   AS  IT  IS   TO-DAY 

HOW  many  times  has  it  been  described  !  How  many 
volumes  of  travel,  by  the  amateur  and  professional 
tourists,  make  a  specialty  of  the  Jerusalem  chapter  !  How 
many  letters  to  religious  and  other  papers,  in  every  Christian 
land,  tell  the  story  of  the  city  as  it  now  is  !  The  number  of 
such  publications  proves  that  the  reading  public  has  been  inter- 
ested in  the  subject.  In  the  belief  that  this  wide-spread 
interest  still  continues  this  chapter  on  the  general  condition 
and  appearance  of  the  city  is  here  introduced. 

Jerusalem  is  a  mountain  city.  Its  position  is  on  one  of  the 
high  points  of  that  broad  ridge  which  runs  north  and  south 
through  the  Holy  Land  from  fertile  Jezreel  to  barren  Idumea. 
Of  this  range  which  abounds  in  peculiar  hill  and  valley 
formations  Jerusalem  occupies  two  hills,  or  one  hill  partly 
divided,  and  the  valley  of  division.  The  higher  of  the  two, 
Mount  Zion,  is  2,593  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean 
and  nearly  4,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea,  which 
lies  but  eighteen  miles  to  the  east.  The  lower  hill,  Mount 
Moriah,  has  an  altitude  of  2,440  feet  above  sea-level.  The  city 
stands  just  east  of  the  water-shed,  and  is  in  latitude  31  °  47' 
N.  and  longitude  35  °  14'  E.  In  a  direct  line  it  is  thirty-two 
miles  from  the  Mediterranean  and  twenty-two  from  the  river 
Jordan.  At  the  first  glance  one  wonders  why  this  site  was 
selected  for  an  important  capital ;  and  the  only  reason  that  can 
be  given  is  that  the  choice  was  made  because  of  its  great 
natural  advantages  for  defence.  However,  the  city  has  always 
suffered  great  inconvenience  because  of  its  limited  water 
supply.     In  earlier  days  this  was  overcome  by  immense  labors 

7* 


72  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

in  cisterns  to  preserve  the  rains  of  winter,  and  in  aqueducts  to 
bring  water  from  distant  springs.  '  The  latter  are  now  broken 
and  useless,  though  a  little  labor  and  money  would  make  them 
serviceable.  Cisterns  are  still  almost  numerous  as  residences. 
Every  house,  or  group  of  two  or  three  houses,  has  one  in 
which  is  stored  the  supply  for  the  year. 

On  coming  to  the  city  the  visitor  is  struck  by  the  rocky 
character  of  its  surroundings.  In  many  places  on  the  plateau 
on  which  it  stands  the  outcropping  of  the  limestone  is  a 
common  sight.  The  character  of  this  formation  varies  in  the 
different  strata.  In  the  bottom  of  the  Kedron  valley,  half  a 
mile  south  of  the  city  is  found  a  very  hard  pink-and-white 
stratum  of  uncertain  depth,  called  "Santa  Croce  "  marble. 
Just  above  it  is  a  stratum  of  soft  white  limestone  called 
"  Malaki"  having  a  thickness  of  about  forty  feet.  Just  above 
this  is  a  hard  silicious  chalk,  called  "  Missae,"  having  a  thick- 
ness of  seventy  feet ;  while  above  this  again,  and  forming  the 
summits  of  the  hills  is  nummulitic  limestone  291  feet  in 
thickness.  This  is  descriptive  of  the  strata  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  and  Mount  of  Evil  Council.1 

The  barren  condition  of  the  neighboring  hills  and  valleys, 
and  in  fact  of  the  two  hills  on  which  Jerusalem  is  built, 
detracts  much  from  the  beauty  of  the  place.  These  hills  and 
valleys  were  once  carefully  cultivated  and  doubtless  over  them 
trees  and  vines  grew  luxuriantly.  Centuries  of  neglect  have 
caused  the  soil  to  be  washed  down  into  the  valleys  and  the 
hills  are  little  more  than  bare  rocks.  Debris  from  the  many 
destructions  Jerusalem  has  suffered  has  also  helped  to  fill  up 
the  two  surrounding  and  one  intersecting  valley.  This 
process  of  denudation  of  the  hills  and  filling  of  the  valleys  has 
toned  down  the  scenery  and  made  it  less  abrupt  and  striking. 
The  modern  visitor  views  a  very  different  topography  from  that 
which  the  visitors  in  the  days  of  Solomon  or  of  Herod  beheld. 
The  surface  is  altered  almost  as  much  as  the  city  itself.  Still 
1  See  "  Our  Work  in  Palestine,"  p.  22. 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  73 

Mounts  Zion  and  Moriah  are  quite  prominent,  the  Tyropean 
can  be  traced  without  difficulty  and  the  Kedron  and  Hinnom 
valleys  are  very  decided  depressions. 

The  location  of  the  city  has  been  changed,  or  rather  it 
occupies  but  a  part  of  the  ground  covered  by  the  Jerusalem  of 
Herod  and  his  immediate  successors.  The  old  city,  including 
the  Mosque  area,  covers  only  209^  acres.  At  the  time  of  its 
greatest  importance  it  must  have  embraced  within  its  walls 
nearly  three  times  as  much  territory,  and,  judging  from  the 
estimates  of  its  population  at  that  time,  the  houses  must  have 
been  even  more  closely  built  than  now.  That  they  are  close 
enough  at  present  no  one  who  has  examined  them  will  ques- 
tion, and  yet  there  are  several  quite  good  sized  pieces  of 
vacant  land.  The  houses  are  generally  poor  and  patched,  and 
have  a  mottled  and  ancient  appearance.  The  mottled  aspect 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  stones  composing  the  walls  have 
done  previous  duty  in  buildings  or  walls  that  have  fallen  be- 
fore the  besieger.  The  ancient  look  is  genuine ;  they  are  old ; 
some  of  them  were  quarried  thousands  of  years  ago.  Many 
of  the  interior  walls  are  supported  by  props  stretching  over- 
head across  the  narrow  streets  and  braced  against  some 
stronger  wall.  They  have  an  ominous  "  bulge,"  which  means 
that  some  of  these  days  they  are  going  to  spill  out  over  the 
street  in  spite  of  their  supports.  The  wonder  is  how  some  of 
them  resist  the  law  of  gravitation  even  now.  There  are  old 
arches  in  every  part  of  the  city  which  have  some  mysterious 
way  of  keeping  up,  when  from  all  appearances  they  ought  to 
fall  immediately.  The  crowds  pass  and  repass  however  un- 
conscious of  their  danger.  Some  day  the  keystone  having 
crumbled  to  powder  will  let  the  whole  structure  tumble,  upon 
some  devoted  heads,  whereupon  the  owner  will  say  "It  is  the 
will  of  God,"  and  the  bereaved  will  console  themselves  with 
the  same  pious  ejaculation. 

The  streets  are  in  no  way  attractive ;  they  are  narrow,  tor- 
tuous and  bewildering,  running  here  and  there  with  as  little 


74  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

order  and  regularity  as  is  manifested  by  the  average  mortal 
who  passes  along  them.  The  only  thoroughfares  whose  situa- 
tion and  direction  are  capable  of  explanation,  are  David 
street,  which  runs  east  from  the  Jaffa  Gate  and  makes  con- 
nections which  lead  out  at  St.  Stephen's  Gate  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  city ;  Christian  street,  which  is  the  thoroughfare 
from  David  street  to  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ;  and 
the  through  street  leading  from  the  Damascus  Gate  on  the 
north  to  Zion's  Gate  on  the  south.  These  are  streets ;  the 
rest  that  bear  the  name  are  in  fact  something  less  than  alleys 
and  something  more  than  paths.  As  to  cleanliness,  all  that 
can  be  said  is  that  it  is  noticeable  for  its  continued  absence. 
The  people  who  live  along  the  streets  use  them  as  receptacles 
for  the  refuse  of  their  living,  and  when  the  street  cleaning 
brigade — consisting  of  two  men  and  four  donkeys — gets  ready 
to  carry  it  away,  it  does  so.  Sometimes  it  remains  for  a 
month  and,  being  added  to  continually,  makes  a  very  unin- 
viting passage  for  pedestrians — only  for  some  pedestrians,  how- 
ever, for  the  native  Jerusalemite  minds  it  not.  Long  residence 
has  accustomed  him  to  such  visions  and  odors,  and  when  he 
cannot  pass  by  it  he  passes  through  without  a  murmur.  In 
other  respects  the  habits  of  the  Arab  and  Jew  residents  are 
most  abominable  and  actions  violating  common  decency  are 
tolerated — actions  which  in  any  city  whose  authorities  had 
any  regard  for  the  appearance  or  health  of  the  community, 
would  land  their  perpetrators  in  jail.  Here  such  punishment 
would  be  considered  a  blow  at  personal  freedom  and  therefore 
resented  with  great  positiveness.  But  until  some  such  richly 
deserved  treatment  is  meted  out,  the  modern  city  within  the 
walls  will  be  considered  by  intelligent  and  reasonably  cleanly 
foreigners  as  a  very  good  place  to  keep  out  of.  There  is  a 
sewer  system,  but  so  crude  and  badly  managed  that  it  is  a 
misnomer  to  call  it  a  "system." 

The  residences  are  small,  ill-ventilated  and  poorly  lighted. 
In  the  poorer  Jewish  quarters  humanity  has  not  breathing- 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  75 

room,  and  apparently  does  not  desire  it.  I  have  found  ten 
persons  sleeping  in  one  small  room  with  every  door  and  win- 
dow tightly  closed ;  it  was  a  room  to  be  looked  into  for  curi- 
osity, but  not  to  be  entered  voluntarily.  Even  among  the  bet- 
ter class  of  Hebrews,  living  in  the  less  crowded  quarters, 
there  is  this  same  objection  to  fresh  air  and  neat  surroundings. 
It  has  been  remarked  that  an  Ashkenaz  Jew  can  thrive  in  an 
atmosphere  which  would  be  deadly  to  an  ordinary  mortal. 
There  is  similar  crowding,  though  less  filth  in  the  Moham- 
medan quarter.  These  people  live  more  in  the  open  air. 
This  does  not  mean  that  there  is  no  room  for  improvement. 
There  are  spots  in  Moslem  Jerusalem  too  awful  to  be  described. 
One  excuse  for  the  Jew,  which  may  also  be  offered  for  some  of 
the  Christians  who  are  none  too  clean,  is  the  lack  of  water. 
The  Moslem  need  not  suffer  this  lack,  for  there  is  at  his  dis- 
posal the  almost  inexhaustible  supply  in  the  immense  cisterns 
of  the  Mosque  area.  It  requires  some  labor  to  transport  it  to 
his  house,  labor  which  many  of  them  consider  too  great  a 
price  to  pay  for  comfort  and  cleanliness.  The  Christian  quar- 
ter is  likewise  sufficiently  filled  with  inhabitants  and  suffi- 
ciently neglected.  This  overcrowding  seems  to  be  necessary, 
but  no  apology  can  be  offered  for  the  wretched  condition  of 
many  of  the  houses  and  yards  and  most  or  all  of  the  streets. 
Nor  does  it  help  matters  to  remark  that  the  same  filthiness  is 
characteristic  of  all  Oriental  cities,  and  that  Jerusalem  is  not 
worse  than  the  majority. 

In  spite  of  these  unfavorable  conditions  there  are  some 
houses  of  very  commodious  and  respectable  appearance  in 
each  of  the  three  quarters,  and,  on  entering  them,  it  will  be 
seen  that  those  who  reside  there  have  some  ideas  as  to  the 
comforts  of  life  and  also  the  ability  to  illustrate  them.  In  the 
various  convents,  schools  and  buildings,  used  as  residences  for 
the  orders  of  the  clergy  of  the  various  churches,  there  is  also 
comfort  and  plenty.  Some  of  these,  together  with  the  churches 
in  connection,  are  very  handsome  pieces  of  architecture  and 


76  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

would  be  ornaments  to  any  city  of  the  western  world.  They 
stand  out  in  striking  contrast  to  the  low,  rough,  irregular 
houses  and  shops  of  the  native  population. 

It  will  thus  easily  be  inferred  that  there  cannot  be  much 
waste  space  in  the  old  city.  Altogether  it  covers  only  209}^ 
acres  of  ground  and  out  of  this  must  be  taken  thirty-five  acres, 
which  are  enclosed  within  the  walls  of  the  great  Mosque.  At 
least  as  much  more  is  occupied  by  military  barracks  and  fully 
as  much  is  the  private  and  unoccupied  land  of  the  various  re- 
ligious orders.  Subtracting  from  what  remains  that  on  which 
stand  the  churches  and  other  buildings  not  used  as  homes,  and 
it  leaves  something  less  than  100  acres  of  ground  to  furnish 
the  homes  and  the  places  of  business  for  a  population  approxi- 
mating thirty  thousand.  There  may  be  more  people  than  this 
number  within  the  walls;  there  are  no  means  of  knowing  the 
exact  population,  as  no  census  is  ever  taken.  A  conservative 
estimate,  based  on  as  complete  a  count  as  can  be  secured, 
gives  the  entire  city  a  resident  population  of  55,000  and  di- 
vides it  almost  equally  between  the  Old  and  the  New  Jeru- 
salem outside  the  walls. 

The  stores  and  shops  are  very  primitive,  but  the  methods  of 
doing  business  are  something  to  be  wondered  at.  Along  Jew 
street,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  city  and  runs  south  from 
David  street,  can  be  seen  on  any  day  but  Saturday  a  sight 
which  for  variety  of  dress,  language,  features  and  goods,  can- 
not be  paralleled.  This  is  the  main  Jewish  business  street,  and 
you  can  buy  here  anything  in  the  way  of  raiment  or  food  that 
a  Jew  of  the  Holy  City  is  likely  to  want.  The  stores  are 
minute,  some  of  them  having  only  a  few  feet  each  way; 
the  largest  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide  by  fourteen  long.  The 
way  the  goods  are  packed  in,  however,  and  the  amount  that 
can  be  exhibited  to  a  probable  purchaser,  is  wonderful  to  the 
uninitiated.  Every  type  of  Jew  from  the  lithe,  dark-skinned 
and  rather  attractive  Yemenite,  to  the  heavy,  fair-skinned  and 
generally  very  unattractive  Russian,  is  here.     Between  these 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  77 

are  the  German,  Spanish,  Morocco,  Persian  and  native  Jew. 
Each  can  speak  the  language  of  the  land  from  which  he  has 
come,  and  within  the  space  of  a  few  yards  one  may  hear  them 
all,  with  the  addition  of  Hebrew  and  English.  It  is  a  Jewish 
cosmopolitan  trading  place. 

North  of  David  street  and  continuous  with  Jew  street  are 
the  Turkish  bazaars,  where  can  be  found  anything  that  the 
Turk  or  Arab  is  likely  to  want.  These  are  even  more  curious 
to  the  western  visitor  than  are  the  shops  of  the  sons  of  Jacob. 
Every  large  city  has  its  Jew  quarter  where  a  pretty  good  idea 
of  the  methods  of  that  "peculiar  people"  can  be  got;  but 
the  Turk  and  Arab  are  not  so  easily  met.  In  these  bazaars 
there  are  always  to  be  seen  a  profusion  of  richly  colored  stuffs. 
The  Turk  is  fond  of  gay  apparel  and  brightly  ornamented  ar- 
ticles. The  dress  of  his  wife  or  wives,  the  trappings  of  his 
horse,  his  narghili,  or  smoking  apparatus,  must  lack  nothing 
in  the  way  of  decoration  that  his  purse  can  afford. 

But  the  great  thing  in  the  bazaars  is  to  see  the  buyer  and  seller 
proceed  to  business.  The  former  comes  along  as  unconcernedly 
as  possible,  as  though  the  intention  to  purchase  anything  was 
farthest  from  his  thoughts.  Coming  to  the  bazaar  he  patron- 
izes, the  greeting  is  passed  and  some  general  conversation  in- 
dulged in.  Seeing  what  he  wants  he  may  pick  it  up,  examine 
it  indifferently  and  lay  it  down  carelessly,  all  the  time  talking 
about  something  else.  Finally  he  ventures  to  ask,  as  though 
the  notion  had  just  struck  him,  how  much  the  desired  article 
is  worth.  The  dealer  is  just  as  sly  and  asks  about  three  times 
what  he  is  willing  to  take  and  expects  to  get,  but  he  does  it  in 
such  a  way  as  to  convey  his  belief  that  the  one  about  to  pur- 
chase has  no  intention  of  doing  so.  With  the  same  indiffer- 
ence the  purchaser  replies  offering  about  a  third  the  amount 
mentioned.  Then  comes  the  battle,  first  quietly,  then  more 
emphatically,  until  finally  their  voices  are  being  used  under 
full  pressure.  You  would  imagine  a  real  fight  was  imminent, 
but  there  is  little  danger.     The  bargain-driving  may  last  half 


78  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

an  hour  or  half  a  day.  The  buyer  may  go  away  without  the 
article,  but  he  is  likely  to  return  on  the  same  or  some  succeed- 
ing day  and  renew  the  business.  When  he  does  secure  his 
purchase  it  is  at  a  price  from  a  third  to  a  half  the  amount  first 
asked.  I  once  purchased  some  rugs  from  one  of  these  Turkish 
merchants.  He  came  with  his  wares  at  a  time  when  I  was 
busy  with  other  matters.  He  had  three  rugs  of  good  quality 
which  I  wanted.  I  told  him  I  had  no  time  to  bargain  with 
him  and  therefore  he  must  name  me  his  last  price.  After 
pondering  a  moment  he  named  it  very  solemnly,  as  though  it 
were  wrenching  his  soul  to  let  them  go  so  cheaply.  I  pursued 
the  same  tactics,  thought  a  moment,  then  took  another  small 
rug  and  added  it  to  the  three  already  selected  and  offered  him 
for  the  four  just  half  the  amount  he  had  said  was  the  last  price 
for  the  three.  He  was  shocked  and  insulted,  to  judge  from 
the  expression  on  his  face,  and  said  it  was  impossible  to  think 
of  selling  them  at  the  price  I  had  mentioned.  I  started  to  go 
and  when  he  saw  I  meant  it  called  me  back  and  gave  me  the 
rugs  at  my  price  and  was  glad  to  do  it.  I  have  no  doubt  he 
made  a  fair  profit  on  the  sale. 

This  is  the  way  of  doing  business  at  every  place  in  the  city 
except  in  one  or  two  European  stores.  It  is  annoying  and  un- 
satisfactory, but  objecting  to  it  does  no  good.  You  are  met 
with  the  assertion,  "It  is  the  custom  of  the  country";  and 
that  is  final.  He  who  attempts  to  reform  the  customs  of  the 
Oriental  gets  little  sympathy  and  less  success.  He  has  always 
done  a  certain  thing  a  certain  way  and  will  continue  to  do  it 
just  that  way  "  even  unto  the  end." 

Another  characteristic,  and  perhaps  the  most  striking  one,  is 
the  religious  appearance  the  city  has.  It  holds  easily  the  title 
of  the  Holy  City  for  this  reason  if  for  no  other.  Look  in  any 
direction  you  may  and  you  will  see  the  roof  of  mosque,  steeple 
of  church  or  dome  of  synagogue,  and  here  and  there  the  tall 
minaret  overlooking  all.  Largest  of  the  churches  is  that  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre,  but  there  are  at  least  twenty-five  others. 


Photograph  by  the  A  uthor 


NATIVE    WATER  CARRIERS. 


Photograph  by    T.  J.  A  lley. 


STREET  MARKET  SCENE. 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  79 

Largest  of  the  synagogues  is  that  known  as  Khal  Stamboul,  or 
Congregation  of  Constantinople,  but  there  are  two  hundred 
others  scattered  throughout  the  town.  Largest  of  the  mosques 
is  the  El  Aksa  on  Mount  Moriah,  but  there  are  inferior  ones  to 
the  number  of  thirty-seven.  Added  to  these  are  the  religious 
and  eleemosynary  institutions  of  priests  and  monks  and  nuns. 
At  nearly  every  hour  some  of  the  numerous  bells  are  ringing 
the  call  to  service.  At  stated  intervals,  namely  at  dawn,  noon, 
middle  of  the  afternoon,  sunset,  and  at  one-and-a-half  hours 
after  sunset,  the  muezzin  call  is  given  "from  the  tapering 
summit  of  tall  minaret,"  and  the  faithful  Moslem  obeys.  But 
I  am  told  the  response  to  the  calls  is  not  nearly  so  general  as  in 
former  years,  that  among  the  younger  generation  of  Moham- 
medans there  is  noticeable  a  great  lack  of  religious  spirit  and 
a  lamentable  neglect  of  the  outward  forms.  Nevertheless, 
when  the  muezzin  sounds,  one  can  see  in  the  public  squares, 
in  front  of  their  shops,  by  the  roadside  or  in  the  field  the 
faithful  going  through  their  prostrations  and  genuflexions. 

As  in  all  other  Oriental  cities,  there  are  venders  of  goods 
along  all  the  principal  streets.  In  some  quarters  they  are  so 
numerous  as  to  occupy  all  of  the  narrow  pavement  and  where 
there  is  no  pavement  a  large  part  of  the  street.  This  hinders 
passenger  traffic  and  forces  man  and  beast  to  use  the  same  way. 
With  water-skins  or  jugs  of  various  shape  strapped  to  them, 
with  a  wide  board  carried  on  the  head,  or  a  basket  in  the  hand, 
the  walking  merchant  transports  his  wares  along  the  street  cry- 
ing their  peculiar  excellence  and  marvellous  cheapness. 

"Oh,  ye  thirsty  ones,  come  and  drink,"  calls  the  seller  of 
lemonade  or  other  refreshment. 

"  Eggs  and  cakes  for  ten  paras  (about  a  cent).  Here  they 
are,  oh,  for  nothing." 

"  He  who  wants  a  good  clean  meal  come  buy  of  me.  My 
bread  is  fresh  and  made  of  whitest  flour." 

"Let  him  who  is  thirsty  partake  of  my  lemonade.  It  is 
cold  and  refreshes  the  heart." 


8o  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

' '  Buy  of  none  but  me.  I  sell  for  nothing  and  if  you  want 
a  special  bargain  be  sure  and  let  me  know." 

Such  invitations  never  cease  from  early  morning  till  dark- 
ness. 

Camel  and  donkey  drivers  hold  sway  on  the  streets.  Laden 
with  various  goods  from  every  quarter  the  camel  comes  stalk- 
ing through  the  city  gates  with  that  look  mildly  disdainful  of 
the  opinions  of  human  bipeds,  whom  his  obstinacy  invites  to 
move  out  of  the  way  or  be  trampled  on.  Take  him  all  in  all, 
the  camel  is  the  homeliest  of  God's  creatures.  Neither  in  face 
nor  form  is  there  anything  to  commend  him  to  the  lover  of  the 
beautiful.  An  American  lady,  celebrated  as  a  writer  of  de- 
lightful and  helpful  fiction,  was  in  Jerusalem  in  the  winter  of 
1893  and  1894.  One  of  her  remarks  about  the  ungainliness 
of  this  plain,  but  profitable  animal,  as  a  long  caravan  of  them 
went  by,  was,  "Well,  I  do  not  like  to  criticise  the  Creator, 
but  it  does  seem  to  me  that  I  could  have  attached  the  hind 
legs  of  those  animals  to  their  bodies  so  as  to  make  just  as  use- 
ful and  a  much  more  graceful  creature." 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  railway  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem 
is  prepared  to  bring  freight  from  the  only  Palestine  seaport, 
the  conservatism  of  many  of  the  people  is  so  intense  that  they 
preserve  the  old  method  of  transportation.  Accordingly 
camel  and  donkey  trains  make  the  journey  laden  with  every 
variety  of  goods.  Overland  from  Damascus,  they  come  along 
the  great  north  road,  bringing  to  Jerusalem  and  Egypt  the 
products  of  the  Oasis  City.  From  the  country  of  Moab  and 
Ammon,  east  of  the  Jordan,  they  bring  the  "  finest  of  the 
wheat"  for  sale  in  the  Jerusalem  market  or  for  shipment  to 
some  far  country,  the  name  of  which  the  raisers  of  the  wheat 
have  never  heard.  One  may  ridicule  the  camel  for  his  ex- 
ceeding ungainliness,  and  in  sarcastic  tones,  because  of  the 
unpleasantness  of  his  voice,  term  the  donkey  "  the  Jerusalem 
canary,"  nevertheless,  these  two  animals  are  deserving  of  the 
highest  consideration  from  the  dwellers  in  this  land.     They 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  81 

make  living  here  reasonably  endurable,  and  the  wretch  who 
treats  them  harshly  is  a  "  marble-hearted  fiend,"  guilty  of  the 
basest  ingratitude,  and  deserving  only  of  the  contempt  of 
men. 

Friday  is  the  big  market  day  of  the  week.  Both  the  whole- 
sale and  retail  dealers  make  the  most  of  it.  Whatever  product 
of  the  season  is  due  will  be  found  in  abundance  at  every 
prominent  street  corner  and  in  every  vegetable  bazaar.  Just 
outside  the  Jaffa  Gate  to  the  northwest  is  the  wholesale  vegeta- 
ble stand.  The  producer  who  can  bring  in  several  camel  or 
donkey  loads  disposes  of  them  here.  But  to  do  so  takes  as 
much  energy  in  bartering — voice  at  highest  pitch  and  arms 
flying — as  would  sell  a  trans-continental  railroad  on  the  New 
York  Stock  Exchange.  In  the  basin  of  the  lower  pool  of 
Gihon  the  cattle  market  is  now  held  every  Friday.  Here  any 
one  wishing  to  sell  or  buy  camels,  cattle,  sheep  or  donkeys, 
may  be  accommodated.  It  is  true  that  Friday  is  the  Moslem 
Sabbath.  It  is  also  true  that  a  great  deal  of  the  business  is 
carried  on  by  believers  in  this  religion  ;  but  to  do  so  on  their 
holy  day  is  not  sacrilegious,  provided  the  business  may  be 
completed  before,  or  dispensed  with,  during  the  noonday  hour 
of  prayer.     This  they  all  manage  to  do. 

For  centuries  the  city  and  land  have  been  under  Moslem 
rule.  The  nominal  head  of  the  local  government  is  a  pasha, 
or  mutaserif,  who  is  appointed  by  the  sultan.  It  depends  al- 
together upon  the  character  of  the  pasha  whether  he  shall  be 
anything  more  than  a  nominal  head.  A  man  of  weak  or 
vacillating  will  is  sure  to  be  made  the  dupe  of  his  underlings, 
the  majority  of  whom  have  received  by  inheritance  and  ac- 
quired by  years  of  constant  practice  capacities  for  deception 
and  sharp  dealing  that  are  truly  wonderful.  The  pasha  who 
is  pasha  indeed,  must  be  shrewd  to  see,  and  quick  to  execute. 
The  inferior  officials  can  have  only  as  much  power  as  the  pasha 
allows  them.  They  constitute  a  sort  of  municipal  council,  and 
consist  of  nine  Moslems,  one  Jew  and  one  Christian.     This  is 


82  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

an  exceedingly  unfair  division,  seeing  that  the  Moslem  body 
is  the  smallest. 

The  great  foreign  powers  all  have  consulates  in  the  city, 
and  the  citizens  of  each  power  are  responsible  in  all  civil  and 
criminal  actions  to  their  respective  consuls.  This  guarantees 
them  some  certain  protection.  In  all  actions  between  parties 
all  of  whom  are  foreigners  the  case  must  be  tried  before  the 
consulate  of  that  power  to  which  the  defendant  owes  alle- 
giance. In  a  case  in  which  a  Turkish  subject  is  the  plaintiff 
against  a  subject  of  a  foreign  state  or  in  which  a  Turkish  sub- 
ject is  in  any  way  involved  either  as  plaintiff  or  defendant  the 
case  must  go  before  the  local  Serai,  or  court,  for  trial.  There 
is  an  exception  to  this  rule  only  when  an  American  citizen  is 
the  defendant.  By  treaty  entered  into  between  the  United 
States  and  Turkey  in  1830,  and  which  has  never  been  altered, 
the  right  is  reserved  of  having  such  a  case  tried  before  the 
American  consulate. 

It  is  true  that  Turkey  makes  objection  to  the  right  of  Amer- 
icans to  exercise  this  special  privilege  asserting  that  we  base 
our  claim  to  it  on  a  mistranslation  of  Article  IV.  of  the  treaty 
of  May  7,  1830,  referring  to  it.  But  it  is  just  as  true  that 
competent  Turkish  scholars  assert  that  the  disputed  clause  does 
grant  to  Americans  this  right.  It  is  a  question  that  was  not 
raised  till  after  the  treaty  had  been  accepted  by  both  powers. 
American  ministers  and  consuls  go  on  exercising  the  privilege 
as  though  there  were  no  dispute.  The  local  authorities  in 
Jerusalem  make  objection  in  nearly  every  case,  but  reference 
to  the  treaty  and  suggestion  of  an  appeal  to  Constantinople  if 
they  are  not  satisfied  cause  them  to  acquiesce. 

Were  they  some  day  to  insist  upon  the  carrying  out  of  this 
stipulation  of  the  treaty,  as  they  interpret  it,  a  delicate  ques- 
tion of  international  importance  would  be  raised.  And  if  a 
commission  of  other  powers  were  appointed  to  settle  the  diffi- 
culty it  would  decide,  without  doubt,  in  favor  of  the  Turk. 
Although  each  of  the  great  nations  of  Europe  should  enjoy, 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  83 

according  to  its  treaty  with  the  Sublime  Porte,  the  privilege 
granted  to  "  the  most  favored  nation,"  the  United  States  is 
alone  in  possession  of  those  privileges.  Americans  residing 
in  Turkish  dominions  care  not  how  soon  the  representatives  of 
other  countries  are  put  on  an  equality  with  them,  but  they 
hope  that  the  day  will  never  come  when  their  own  government 
shall  submit  to  a  Turkish  mistranslation  of  the  treaty  and  sur- 
render privileges  that  are  necessities  if  Americans  are  to  secure 
what  they  consider  their  rights. 

This  is  one  of  the  very  few  advantages  accruing  to  an  Amer- 
ican citizen  resident  in  the  Holy  City.  Unless  such  an  one 
is  here  engaged  heart  and  soul  in  missionary  work  time  will 
hang  heavily.  In  the  way  of  amusement  there  is  nothing : 
not  a  place  where  an  exhibition  of  any  kind  can  be  given, 
were  there  anything  worth  exhibiting;  not  an  opera  nor  a 
play;  not  even  a  concert  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other. 
During  my  residence  of  four  years  there  were  four  concerts 
given  by  amateurs.  Lectures  are  occasionally  given  in  the 
tourist  season  under  the  auspices  of  the  local  branch  of  the  Pal- 
estine Exploration  Society.  For  the  rest  of  the  year  the  town 
closes  at  sundown.  The  only  places  that  keep  open  after  this 
hour  are  a  couple  of  German  beer-halls  and  some  Arab  coffee- 
shops.  The  streets  are  deserted  by  humanity  and  all  is  quiet 
until  daybreak,  except  the  canine  part  of  the  population. 

Wonderful  is  the  transformation  that  comes  over  the  city 
when  night  falls.  The  streets  that  were  a  few  hours  ago 
crowded  and  noisy  are  deserted  and  quiet.  I  have  walked 
through  the  city  and  round  the  walls  between  the  night  hours 
of  ten  and  twelve  and  not  met  a  single  person,  except  the 
silent  watchman  in  his  little  garden.  The  effect  of  the  times 
when  the  city  gates  were  shut  at  sundown  and  it  was  unsafe  to 
be  out  at  night,  is  still  felt.  The  people  have  nothing  to  stay 
up  for,  so  they  retire  early.  The  natives  are  early  risers ;  they 
may  have  nothing  to  do,  but  no  matter ;  they  are  up  before 
the  sun. 


84  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

The  spirit  of  modern  progress  has  not  touched  the  city  yet. 
It  has  come  from  the  west,  swept  across  the  Mediterranean, 
left  its  impress  on  Alexandria  and  Cairo,  but  has  passed 
through  the  Suez  Canal  and  on  to  the  Far  East.  Jerusalem 
has  been  passed  by  and,  were  it  not  for  its  popularity  as  a 
stopping-place  for  tourists  from  Europe  and  America,  would  be 
as  Oriental  as  any  one  could  wish.  These  visitors  are  leaving 
some  of  their  customs  and  costumes.  Some  of  the  rising  gen- 
eration of  natives  affect  the  European  dress.  The  combination 
of  the  man  and  the  habit  is  not  a  success ;  each  detracts  from 
the  other. 

When  the  railway  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  was  completed  in 
1893  it  was  the  wonder  of  the  year,  not  only  of  the  day.  The 
great  majority  of  the  people  had  never  seen  such  a  thing  as  a 
locomotive.  It  frightened  them  so  that  when  some  of  them 
saw  it  coming  they  could  not  get  out  of  the  way.  It  might 
reasonably  have  been  expected  that  other  improvements  would 
follow  rapidly.     There  has  not  been  a  single  one. 

Some  of  the  letters  of  inquiry  from  our  enterprising  Ameri- 
can firms  which  are  sent  to  the  consulate  are  laughable  in  the 
light  of  present  conditions.  Electric  engineers  and  manufac- 
turers of  electric  goods  want  to  know  all  about  the  system  of 
street  railway  now  employed  and  what  is  the  likelihood  of  in- 
troducing their  special  improved  appliances  for  rapid  transit. 
If  they  could  only  see  what  system  is  in  use  !  To  go  from 
one  part  of  the  city  within  the  walls  to  another,  one  must  walk 
or  mount  a  donkey.  A  line  of  carriages  runs  from  the  Jaffa 
Gate  a  mile  west  along  the  road.  But  such  carriages  !  He 
who  enters  some  of  them  does  so  at  the  expense  of  comfort 
and  safety. 

Street  illumination  is  still  in  its  infancy.  In  the  entire  city 
there  are  twenty-eight  small  oil  lamps  stuck  up  here  and  there 
on  the  sides  of  the  houses.  They  are  uncared  for  and  on  a 
dark  night  do  nothing  more  than  indicate  that  they  are 
lighted.     To  believe  that  they  do  anything  in  the  way  of  less- 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  85 

ening  the  gloom  is  a  freak  of  imagination.  American  com- 
panies wish  to  put  in  electric  lights  if  the  way  is  clear.  But  it 
is  not ;  several  insurmountable  barriers  intervene.  In  the  first 
place  the  Turkish  authorities  do  not  desire  so  much  light;  it 
would  reveal  too  much.  They  would  not  permit  the  introduc- 
tion of  electricity  for  illuminating  purposes  if  some  company 
should  agree  to  furnish  it  gratis.  Another  reason  is  it  would 
never  pay.  With  the  great  scarcity  of  fuel  the  expense  of 
operating  the  electric  plant  would  be  enormous.  Another  rea- 
son is  that  the  Turk  fears  electricity  in  any  form.  He  only 
admits  the  telegraph  because  he  is  compelled  to.  In  Berg- 
heim's  flouring  mill,  however,  and  in  the  French  Pilgrim's 
Building,  both  in  the  New  City,  there  are  some  incandescent 
lights. 

There  are  no  telephones  and  not  likely  soon  to  be  any.  An 
American  missionary  who  had  charge  of  some  schools  several 
miles  away  and  with  which  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  have 
frequent  converse  had  a  telephone  sent  to  him.  When  he 
proceeded  to  put  it  in  condition  for  service  a  Turkish  officer 
was  sent  to  make  inquiries.  The  affair  and  the  benefit  of  it 
was  explained  to  him  and  he  went  away  and  reported  it  to  his 
superiors.  Word  soon  came  to  the  progressive  missionary  that 
he  must  desist  in  its  operations.  Such  an  innovation  could 
not  be  allowed  unless  he  had  an  order  from  the  sultan.  He 
had  no  such  order  and  was  in  no  mood  to  pay  the  sum  neces- 
sary to  obtain  it.  The  telephone  has  been  lying  unused  for 
several  years. 

This  is  the  kind  of  people  who  have  control  of  the  city.  As 
long  as  they  retain  it  Jerusalem  will  be  mediaeval  in  appear- 
ance. The  native  and  Jewish  inhabitants  do  not  care ;  the 
visitor  prefers  to  see  a  city  untouched  by  the  hand  of  modern 
improvement.  The  former  are  indifferent  in  the  matter ;  the 
latter  have  a  sentiment.  The  one  will  not  be  roused  from 
their  indifference  so  long  as  the  Turk  is  governor ;  the  other 
is  in  no  danger  of  having  his  sentiment  destroyed. 


86  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

The  population  numbers  fifty-five  thousand.  This  is  a  con- 
servative estimate  and  yet  only  an  estimate ;  nothing  more 
satisfactory  can  be  had  under  present  conditions.  The 
Turks  never  take  a  census.  Certain  individuals  or  societies 
have  attempted  a  systematic  canvass,  but  have  had  too  many 
difficulties  to  meet  in  the  way  of  overcoming  fears  and  preju- 
dices. The  people  look  with  suspicion  upon  any  one  who 
comes  to  their  houses  and  asks  questions  about  the  inmates. 
They  fear  some  new  tax  list  is  about  to  be  prepared,  and  if 
they  must  answer  are  sure  to  minimize  their  numbers.  With 
these  difficulties  to  contend  against  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
that  estimators  differ  somewhat  in  their  calculations  and  their 
differences  must  not  be  charged  to  intentional  error. 

The  estimate  here  given  includes  the  permanent  residents 
of  both  the  old  and  the  new  city,  and  is  based  upon  careful 
observation  after  a  continuous  residence  of  nearly  five  years 
and  upon  the  opinions  of  the  various  civil  and  religious  au- 
thorities. It  was  taken  for  granted  in  making  the  estimate 
that  the  patriarchs  and  bishops  of  the  various  Christian  bodies 
would  be  in  positions  to  know  the  exact  number  of  their  ad- 
herents and  would  be  honest  in  stating  that  number.  On  the 
other  hand  great  dissatisfaction  resulted  from  efforts  to  learn 
the  real  number  of  the  Jewish  population.  The  leading  rabbis 
know,  but  soon  convince  an  inquirer  that  they  wish  to  pre- 
serve their  knowledge.  The  inference  from  this  desire  to  con- 
ceal the  number  is  that  there  are  many  more  than  the  Jews 
wish  the  Turkish  authorities  to  believe.  They  have  an  object 
in  decreasing  the  number,  or  the  report  of  the  number  of  their 
people,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  do  so,  by  from  ten  to 
fifteen  thousand. 

The  most  careful  estimate  yet  made  was  in  1892,  by  the 
missionary  workers  of  the  London  Jews'  Society.  The  result 
was  as  nearly  exact  as  has  yet  been  made  and  may  safely  be 
depended  upon.  According  to  this  there  are  just  about  forty- 
two  thousand  Jews  in  the  city  and  contiguous  colonies,  whose  in- 


The  City  as  it  is  To-day  87 

habitants  are  justly  classed  among  Jerusalem  residents.  Since 
that  partial  census  there  has  been  little  variation  in  the  num- 
ber, for  it  was  made  just  about  the  time  restrictions  were  placed 
upon  Jewish  immigration.  Some  have  come  since,  but  about 
an  equal  number  have  left.  Should  the  restrictions  against 
the  immigration  of  the  Jew  be  removed  they  would  come  in 
ever  increasing  numbers,  until  the  Christian  and  Moslem 
dwellers  in  the  Holy  City  would  be  so  few  as  to  be  conspicu- 
ous. As  it  is,  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  entire  population 
are  descendants  of  Jacob. 

Next  in  numerical  strength  are  the  Christians,  including  all 
sects  who  so  call  themselves.  Of  this  part  of  the  population 
nearly  a  half  are  adherents  of  the  Greek  orthodox  body.  In 
wealth  as  well  as  in  numbers  this  is  the  leading  sect.  The 
entire  number  of  Christians  is  about  8,630,  divided  as  follows : 

Greek  Orthodox 4,000 

Roman  Catholic 3,200 

Armenian 600 

Protestant  (all  branches) 500 

Coptic 120 

Greek  Catholic 100 

Abyssinian 60 

Syriac 50 

Total 8,630 

The  Moslems  number  about  6,500,  and  though  the  smallest 
numerically,  are  the  strongest  officially.  They  look  with  a 
measure  of  scorn  upon  Jews  and  Christians,  and,  were  it  not 
for  the  financial  benefit  to  them  resulting  from  the  presence  of 
these  representatives  of  despised  religions,  would  gladly  be 
rid  of  them. 

There  is  less  friction  between  members  of  these  three  great 
religions  than  is  generally  supposed.  In  fact  there  is  very 
little.  The  worst  exhibitions  of  intolerance  are  between  cer- 
tain of  the  Christian  sects.     Each  devotee  of  religion  enjoys 


88  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

full  freedom  to  worship  God  as  he  wishes  so  long  as  he  respects 
the  rights  of  the  others.  There  are  in  the  city  Jews,  orthodox 
and  reformed — though  the  latter  are  few.  There  are  Ashken- 
azim,  or  Jargon-speaking,  Sephardim,  or  Spanish,  and  Caraites, 
or  repudiators  of  the  Talmud.  There  are  Christians  of  every 
shade  of  faith,  orthodox,  unorthodox  and  peculiar.  There 
are  representatives  of  the  various  sects  of  Islam.  So  in  every 
respect,  civil  and  religious,  physical  and  political,  Jerusalem 
is  unique  among  the  cities  of  the  world. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM 


The  Term — Its  Application — Appearance  and  Age — Ancient 
Architecture  in  the  Old  City — Modern  in  the  New — Old  City 
Streets — New  City  Streets — Dust — Street  Sprinkling — Growth 
of  the  New  City — Jewish  Immigration — Condition  of  the  Peo- 
ple— Their  Character  and  Nationality — Estimates  of  Robinson 
and  Williams — New  Jerusalem  Residences — Jewish  Colonies 
— Names  of  Colonies — Jeremiah's  Prophecy — Zechariah — 
Conclusions. 


90 


THE   NEW  JERUSALEM 

THE  term  is  old ;  the  application  of  it  here  made  is  new. 
When  the  Seer  of  Patmos  was  "in  the  spirit  on  the 
Lord's  Day  "  he  beheld  a  city  where  all  was  perfect ;  he  called 
it  the  New  Jerusalem.  To  his  mind  Jerusalem  was  the  queen 
of  cities,  and  when  there  arose  before  his  vision  the  indescrib- 
able city  of  God  no  name  was  better  suited  to  it.  That  name 
brought  to  his  mind  a  suggestion  of  all  that  was  beautiful  and 
all  that  was  sacred.  The  contrast  between  his  home  on  the 
sea-washed  rock  of  Patmos  and  "  the  holy  city,  New  Jerusa- 
lem, coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven"  was  far  more 
decided  than  that  between  the  Old  and  the  New  that  stand 
side  by  side  on  the  hills  of  Judea  to-day,  but  the  latter  con- 
trast is  striking  enough  to  warrant  the  application  of  the  term 
"  old  "  to  that  city  within  the  walls,  and  "  new  "  to  that  which 
has  grown  up  during  the  last  few  years  outside  the  walls  toward 
the  west  and  north. 

The  contrast  is  one  of  appearance  as  well  as  age.  In  the 
old  city  the  buildings  have  an  ancient  look.  And  their  looks 
do  not  deceive,  for  some  of  them  have  seen  twenty  generations 
of  frail  humanity  appear  and  disappear ;  indeed,  some  of  these 
walls,  I  am  sure,  were  standing  in  the  time  of  Constantine. 
Some  of  these  houses  may  go  back  to  the  time  of  Christ,  if  we 
are  to  believe  some  observers,  who  see  in  the  claim  no  violation 
of  the  Saviour's  prophecy,  "  They  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one 
stone  upon  another."1  The  architecture  is  ancient,  even  in 
the  buildings  which  have  been  erected  in  recent  years.  The 
scarcity  of  timber  and  the  expensiveness   of  iron  have  forced 

•  Luke  xix.  44. 
91 


Q2  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

builders  to  resort  to  the  arch,  and  with  very  few  exceptions 
the  houses  in  the  city  proper  have  vaulted  ceilings  and  dome 
roofs.  As  one  looks  over  the  city  from  the  terrace  of  the 
Grand  New  Hotel  the  entire  place  seems  to  be  made  up  of 
little  mounds,  very  quaint  and  very  picturesque.  In  the  new 
city  new  ideas  in  building  are  illustrated.  The  houses  are 
modern.  Iron  rafters  take  the  place  of  the  arch,  and  flat,  or 
slanting  roofs  with  the  ordinary  red  tile  so  common  in  German 
villages,  are  the  order.  This  does  away  in  many  cases  with 
the  amazing  thickness  of  walls,  but  in  some  the  old  method  of 
a  wall  so  thick  that  it  will  keep  out  heat  in  summer  and  damp- 
ness in  winter  prevails,  even  in  the  newer  quarters.  A  wall 
four  feet  in  thickness  has  a  substantial  appearance  and  great 
powers  of  resistance  to  the  elements. 

Within  the  walls  the  streets  are  narrow,  devious,  and,  for 
two  or  three  reasons,  very  uncertain.  A  stranger  on  entering 
one  of  them  never  knows  just  where  he  will  find  himself  after 
a  few  minutes'  walk.  The  street  may  make  several  turns  in  as 
many  minutes.  Another  uncertainty  is  that  one  never  knows 
on  entering  a  street  just  how  long  he  can  continue  on  it.  A 
camel  loaded  with  boxes  or  large  sacks  comes  swinging  along 
and  demands,  and  generally  gets,  the  full  right  of  way.  He 
who  wishes  to  contest  the  ungainly  creature's  progress  may  do 
so,  but  one  experience  of  the  kind  is  usually  satisfactory  and 
on  the  next  occasion  the  quiet  demands  of  the  brute  are 
quietly  granted.  There  is  only  one  piece  of  a  street  in  the 
whole  city  where  carriages  can  pass.  The  place  was  laid  out 
as  it  now  is  before  there  was  a  carriage  in  the  country. 

The  New  Jerusalem  differs  in  this  respect.  North  of  the  old 
city  the  streets  are  wide  and  reasonably  well  cared  for — I 
mean  reasonably  well  for  Jerusalem,  for  they  are  not  paved, 
and  many  loose  stones  make  carriage  riding  somewhat  more 
violent  exercise  than  most  people  care  to  indulge  in.  The 
exception  to  this  is  the  Jaffa  road  which  is  lined  with  houses 
on  both  sides  for  nearly  a  mile  beyond  the  gate  of  the  same 


The  New  Jerusalem  93 

name.  This  road  is  well  ballasted  and  comfortably  smooth. 
Its  great  drawback  is  the  choking  dust  which  covers  it  all 
through  the  long  rainless  summer.  A  light  yellow  cloud 
hangs  over  it  all  the  time,  sustained  by  the  continual  passing 
and  repassing  of  carriages,  camels  and  donkeys.  A  little 
public  spirit  in  the  way  of  street  sprinkling  would  remedy 
this,  but  public  spirit  requires  the  expenditure  of  a  little 
money  and  a  little  time.  There  are  plenty  of  people  who 
will  furnish  the  time  if  paid  for  it,  but  too  few  who  will 
contribute  the  money.  There  is  a  little  sprinkling  done, 
but  so  little  that  it  is  ridiculous.  A  couple  of  water  carriers 
each  evening  go  along  with  water  skins  on  their  backs  and 
scatter  a  little  dirty  water  here  and  there.  You  can  see  in  the 
dust  the  mark  of  their  passing,  but  there  is  no  diminution  in 
the  amount  of  dirt  in  the  air. 

All  this  new  city  has  grown  up  within  the  last  twenty-five 
years.  This  is  not  a  very  rapid  growth  if  it  be  compared  with 
some  of  our  western  cities,  but  it  is  rapid  for  this  part  of  the 
world,  especially  that  on  which  the  throttling  Turk  has  his 
grip.  In  a  country  whose  government  discourages  all  progress 
by  taxing  every  improvement  beyond  the  benefit  it  can  bring 
to  the  one  making  it,  that  discriminates  against  certain  classes 
of  its  population  and  prohibits  the  entrance  of  many  new 
settlers  the  rapid  advance  of  a  city  is  a  cause  for  wonder. 
Visitors  to  Jerusalem  now  who  have  seen  the  city  twenty  or 
even  ten  years  ago,  are  amazed  at  the  advance  that  has  been 
made.  The  improvement  appears  mostly  in  the  new  city. 
Here  many  Jewish  colonies  have  grown  up  and  seem  to  be 
thriving.  They  are  continually  being  added  to  and  yet  the 
Jewish  authorities  persist  in  saying  that  their  numbers  are  not 
increasing  by  immigration.  But  as  the  authorities  have  very 
good  reasons  for  wanting  it  to  be  believed  that  they  are  not 
increasing  in  numbers  their  persistence  in  assertion  has  no 
effect  upon  the  opinions  of  persons  who  wish  to  see.  The 
new  houses  are  occupied  just  as  soon  as  they  are  ready  for 


94  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

occupation  and  the  old  houses  are  not  vacated.  The  Porte 
has  issued  an  order  forbidding  the  settlement  of  Jews  in 
Palestine.  But  the  Jews  are  coming  just  the  same.  Not  as 
rapidly  nor  in  such  numbers,  it  is  true,  as  before  the  order  was 
issued,  but  still  rapidly  enough  to  keep  adding  to  their 
strength  in  and  about  their  ancestral  city.  An  examination 
into  the  methods  of  the  customs  officials  at  Jaffa  would  no 
doubt  disclose  how  this  is  done  in  spite  of  the  law. 

As  in  the  old  city  so  in  the  new  the  great  majority  are 
Israelites.  Take  these  away  and  neither  city  would  be  much 
more  than  a  village.  In  1838  Doctor  Robinson,  whose  state- 
ments can  usually  be  relied  upon,  estimated  that  there  were 
eleven  thousand  inhabitants  in  Jerusalem  of  whom  three 
thousand  were  Jews.  In  1845  Doctor  Shultz  claimed  that  there 
were  seven  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty  Jews.  In  the 
second  edition  of  his  work,  entitled  "The  Holy  City,"  which 
appeared  in  1849,  George  Williams  approves1  Doctor  Robin- 
son's computation.  Accepting  the  estimate  of  Robinson  and 
Williams,  we  must  account  for  a  tenfold  increase  in  forty-five 
years,  and  this  is  a  very  conservative  ratio.  Any  fair-minded 
person  will  be  convinced  of  its  accuracy  by  a  walk  through  the 
twenty  separate  colonies  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

Here,  too,  are  the  finest  residences.  Many  of  the  Turkish 
officials  and  families  of  high  social  and  financial  standing 
among  the  Moslems  consider  this  a  desirable  location.  The 
European  population  generally  has  followed  them,  and  on  the 
north  ridge  are  the  homes  of  the  English  and  German,  and  the 
few  American  missionaries,  the  hospitals  and  schools,  and  the 
consulates  of  the  various  powers.  On  the  highest  part  of  the 
ridge  stands  the  consulate  of  our  own  great  nation,  and  when 
the  "Stars  and  Stripes"  are  floating  they  can  be  seen  from 
nearly  every  part  of  the  city.  That  flag  of  a  nation  undreamed 
of  two  hundred  years  ago,  waves  over  this  city  that  counts  its 
age  by  decades  of  centuries,  yet  represents  a  civilization  as  far  in 
'  Holy  City,  Vol.  II.,  p.  614. 


Photograph  by    T.  J.  Alley. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE. 


WISH* 


-•; .-  — v?>-.;r 


r-* 


Photograph  by  the  Author. 


CONSULAR  GUARDS. 


The  New  Jerusalem  95 

advance  of  what  it  sees  as  the  parlor  car  is  in  advance  of  the 
camel  as  a  method  of  travel. 

In  this  New  Jerusalem  the  air  is  always  pure.  This  is  a 
matter  about  which  tourists  can  afford  to  be  unconcerned  for  a 
time,  but  which  residents  must  consider.  Because  of  its  com- 
pact nature,  the  narrowness  of  its  streets  and  its  lack  of  proper 
drainage,  the  old  city  has  at  times  a  woeful  lack  of  fresh  air. 
But  on  the  high  land  on  the  north  there  is  never  any  want  of 
this  preventive  of  fever  and  other  diseases.  It  comes  up  moist 
from  the  Mediterranean  and  fragrant  with  the  odors  of  the 
hills,  or  down  from  the  high  Lebanon  country  bearing  refresh- 
ment and  invigoration.  Nearly  every  house  has  its  garden  or 
small  vineyard  about  it  where  the  air  can  have  full  play.  Yet 
this  is  not  true  of  all  the  Jewish  colonies ;  strange  as  it  may 
appear,  some  of  these  people  certainly  prefer  villainous  sur- 
roundings. With  every  chance  of  having  their  precincts  clean 
and  comfortable  and  wholesome,  they  manage  to  keep  them 
in  the  very  opposite  condition.  They  are  satisfied  to  crowd 
together  in  small  ill-lighted  houses,  all  of  which  front  on  a 
court  that  too  often  is  made  the  dumping  place  for  the  refuse 
of  the  colony.     But  in  spite  of  themselves  they  thrive. 

Others  of  these  colonies  in  the  new  city  are  about  as  at- 
tractive and  well  cared  for  as  they  can  be.  Their  founders 
and  residents  have  a  pardonable  pride  in  their  settlement  in  the 
Holy  City.  Notable  among  these  is  that  one  just  west  of  the 
Pool  of  the  Sultan  facing  the  Bethlehem  road.  This  was 
started  by  a  fund  raised  in  London  in  honor  of  the  great  Jew- 
ish philanthropist,  Sir  Moses  Montefiore.  A  committee  in  Je- 
rusalem, working  with  a  similar  one  in  London,  builds  the 
houses  and  sells  them  on  easy  terms  to  worthy  families.  The 
number  of  houses  is  to  be  limited  to  one  hundred  and  thirty, 
and  the  limit  is  almost  reached.  This  colony  has  a  very 
pleasant  location  along  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  hill  and  has 
about  it  an  air  of  thrift.  During  the  lifetime  of  Sir  Moses  the 
ground  was  purchased  and  thirty-two  cottages  erected.     These 


96  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

are  given  free  of  rent  to  those  Jews  fortunate  enough  to  secure 
them,  and  a  family  once  located  remains  without  fear  of  being 
removed.  The  entire  population  of  this  settlement  amounts 
to  six  hundred,  and  when  all  the  residences  are  completed 
will  be  a  very  comfortable  little  village  of  eight  hundred  souls. 

Beyond  the  high  wall  which  the  Russians  have  built  around 
their  property  north  of  the  city  and  along  the  Jaffa  road  the 
houses  are  with  few  exceptions  occupied  by  Jews.  The  names 
they  have  given  to  their  colonies  are  in  many  instances  sug- 
gestive of  a  degree  of  prosperity  and  glory  that  appearances 
will  hardly  sanction.  "The  House  of  Jacob,"  "The  Hundred 
Gates,"  "The  Glory  of  Israel,"  "The  Right  Hand  of 
Moses  "  are  fair  samples  of  these  names.  One  called  "The 
Corner  Gate  "  is  regarded  by  many  good  people  as  a  prophetic 
indication,  or  rather  as  indication  of  the  near  fulfillment  of  proph- 
ecy. The  coincidence  is  at  least  striking.  In  the  thirty-first 
chapter  of  Jeremiah,  thirty-eighth  to  fortieth  verses,  the  prophet 
exclaims,  "Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  the 
city  shall  be  built  to  the  Lord  from  the  tower  of  Hananeel  to 
the  gate  of  the  corner.  And  the  measuring  line  shall  yet  go 
forth  over  against  it  upon  the  hill  Gareb  and  shall  compass 
about  to  Goath.  And  the  whole  valley  of  the  dead  bodies, 
and  of  the  ashes,  and  all  the  fields,  unto  the  brook  of  Kidron, 
unto  the  corner  of  the  horse  gate  toward  the  east,  shall  be  holy 
unto  the  Lord ;  it  shall  not  be  plucked  up  nor  thrown  down 
any  more  forever." 

Now  there  may  be  some  way  to  adopt  the  statements  of  this 
prophecy  to  present  conditions  and  those  who  say  that  it 
plainly  foretells  the  modern  growth  of  the  city  toward  the 
north  may  be  correct.  The  great  difficulty  is  in  identifying 
the  places  to  which  Jeremiah  gives  these  names.  It  is  not 
known  just  where  the  tower  of  Hananeel  was ;  the  hill  Gareb 
and  the  place  called  Goath  are  uncertain  in  their  location.  If 
we  had  any  grounds  for  believing  that  the  tower  of  Hananeel 
stood  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  present  city,  and  that 


The  New  Jerusalem  97 

the  hill  to  the  northwest  is  Gareb  we  might  assert  quite  posi- 
tively that  the  growth  of  the  past  few  years  has  followed  the 
line  marked  out  by  Jeremiah.  Gareb  is  the  name  usually 
given  to  this  long,  sloping  hill  on  which  most  of  the  new  city 
is  built,  and  only  by  placing  Hananeel  where  we  have,  can  any 
possible  application  of  the  above  passage  be  made.  But  in 
matters  of  this  nature  it  is  not  wise  to  be  too  positive.  In  any 
case  the  city  is  growing  toward  the  north,  including  and  cross- 
ing "the  valley  of  the  dead  bodies,  and  of  the  ashes,"  which 
are  known  places,  and  moving  as  if  the  intention  were  to 
occupy  "  all  the  fields  unto  the  brook  of  Kiedron." 

Another  prophecy1  foretells  the  growth  of  the  city  in  this 
direction,  but  in  it  we  meet  the  same  difficulty  encountered  in 
the  former.  The  gates  of  the  old  city  have  been  the  sport  of 
theorizers,  and,  though  the  prophets  knew  their  exact  location 
and  spoke  intelligently  about  them  we  cannot.  So  when 
Zechariah  describes  the  coming  city  as  extending  "  from  Ben- 
jamin's Gate  unto  the  place  of  the  first  gate  unto  the  corner 
gate  and  from  the  tower  of  Hananeel  unto  the  king's  wine- 
presses," we  may  only  know  the  general  directions.  The  gate 
of  Benjamin  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  city  in  the  time  of 
Jeremiah.2  To  Anathoth,  the  city  of  this  prophet,  northeast 
of  Jerusalem,  he  was  going  when  "  the  captain  of  the  ward  " 
arrested  him  on  suspicion  as  a  deserter  to  the  Chaldeans.  So 
the  gate  of  Benjamin  may  have  been  on  the  east  of  the  north 
wall.  If  so,  and  we  identify  as  "the  king's  wine-presses" 
those  ancient  rock  cuttings  about  a  mile  straight  north  of  the 
present  Damascus  Gate  to  which  the  name  is  now  given,  we 
have  the  exact  direction  in  which  the  new  city  is  growing. 
There  are  a  good  many  "  ifs  "  to  be  accepted,  but  it  is  a  reason- 
able method  to  permit  the  facts  to  interpret  the  prophecy, 
and  if  we  do  so  all  the  "  ifs  "  may  be  omitted.  Certainly  no 
one  can  read  the  many  prophetic  utterances  about  Jerusalem 
in  a  rational  way  and  hold  that  they  all  refer  to  a  "spiritual 
1  Zech.  xiv.  io,  II.  2Jer.  xxxvii.  13. 


98  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

city,"  unless  he  accept  a  method  of  interpretation,  which  robs 
the  Bible  of  the  greater  part  of  its  value  as  "the  book"  for 
men. 

He  who  sees  in  the  growth  of  the  New  Jerusalem  the  fulfill- 
ment of  some  of  the  visions  of  the  inspired  seers  has  plain 
scripture  with  him  and  the  stubborn  facts  of  this  new  city  as  it 
is  and  is  fast  becoming.  Out  in  the  direction  of  the  so-called 
king's  wine-presses,  it  is  moving  slowly,  but  irresistibly. 
Many  fields  between  the  last  colony  and  the  "  presses  "  are 
still  in  the  hands  of  the  husbandman,  but  ten  years  more  of 
progress,  such  as  has  been  witnessed  during  the  last  decade 
will  see  Zechariah's  prediction  realized.  Once  the  Turk  gets 
over  his  animosity  toward  his  elder  brother,  the  Jew,  there  will 
be  nothing  in  the  way  of  the  increase  of  the  new  city.  The 
Jew  wants  to  come.  He  is  anxious  to  buy  a  plot  of  ground 
and  build  him  a  home  in  or  near  the  city  of  his  fathers.  He 
simply  asks  to  be  let  alone,  freed  from  oppression  and  permit- 
ted to  enjoy  his  religion.  The  land  of  the  new  city  is  ready 
for  him.  In  all  other  directions  growth  is  prevented  by  deep 
valleys.  Thus  topography  assists  in  the  development  of  proph- 
ecy. 

The  colony  of  Jews  from  Bokhara  is  the  latest  addition  to 
the  new  city,  and,  taking  everything  into  consideration,  the 
most  attractive  and  promising.  These  are  a  superior  looking 
people,  being  of  much  finer  physique  than  their  brethren  from 
the  west.  The  men  are  tall  and  vigorous  and  the  women  at- 
tractive in  face  and  form.  They  are  also  people  of  means  and 
on  the  large  tract  of  land  they  have  purchased,  almost  a  mile 
north  of  the  New  Gate,  are  erecting  some  residences  that 
would  be  an  ornament  to  any  city.  Only  within  a  few  years 
have  any  of  them  been  seen  within  the  limits  of  their  ancient 
city.  They  are  no  doubt  the  descendants  of  those  exiles  who 
preferred  to  remain  in  the  land  of  the  strangers  after  the 
seventy  years  of  captivity  had  expired.  After  twenty-five 
hundred  years  something  moves  them  to  return  to  the  homes  of 


The  New  Jerusalem  99 

their  fathers.     Is  not  that  "something"  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence ? 

Thus  the  new  Jerusalem  grows  by  accessions  from  every 
part  of  the  globe.  On  its  streets  "  all  sorts  and  conditions  " 
of  Jews  and  Gentiles  meet  and  pass  one  another.  They  may 
be  strangers  to  each  other  and  ignorant  of  the  part  they  are 
playing,  but  I  cannot  resist  the  belief  that  each  is  doing  his 
part  in  God's  plan  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  city  and  its  en- 
largement far  beyond  the  borders  it  has  occupied  in  the  past. 


THE  WALLS  AND  GATES 


Circumventing  the  Walls — 48th  Psalm — Walls  of  Jebus — 
Solomonic  Additions — Nehemiah's  Account — Restorations — 
Walls  in  Time  of  Christ— First  Wall— Second  Wall— Gate 
Gennath — Third  Wall — Josephus'  Account — Modern  Wall — 
Sulieman — Jaffa  Gate — Needle's  Eye — Bethlehem  Road — 
Southwest  Corner — Zion  Gate — Inscription — Angles  of  Wall 
— Double  Gate — Triple  Gate — Single  Gate — Southeast  Angle 
— Excavations — Mason  Marks — Ancient  Arch — Golden  Gate 
— Ancient  Masonry — St.  Stephen's  Gate — Northeast  Corner — 
Herod  Gate — Bezetha — Damascus  Gate — New  Gate — Length 
of  Entire  Wall. 


102 


VI 

THE  WALLS   AND   GATES 

WHEN  visitors  to  the  "  City  of  the  Great  King,"  as  is 
their  custom,  take  a  walk  around  the  walls,  they 
should  bear  in  mind  that  they  are  accepting  a  very  ancient  in- 
vitation. The  patriotic  author  of  the  forty-eighth  Psalm,  glory- 
ing in  the  safety  of  his  capital,  was  anxious  that  the  "genera- 
tions following"  should  hear  about  her  towers  and  bulwarks.1 
Perhaps  he  felt  that  the  day  was  coming  when  these  mighty 
defences  would  be  unable  to  withstand  the  assaults  of  mightier 
forces.  Then  they  would  have  to  depend  upon  the  memory 
of  men  for  the  honor  that  was  their  due.  If  so,  he  was  not 
mistaken.  The  walls  of  his  day  were  battered  down  by 
the  enemy ;  the  towers  and  bulwarks  and  magnificent  palaces 
were  levelled  to  the  earth.  It  matters  not  at  what  period  of 
the  city's  history  the  writer  of  this  psalm  lived  ;  the  statement 
is  correct.  Repeatedly  were  the  fortifications  rebuilt  by  the 
lovers  of  Jerusalem,  and  just  as  often  were  they  overthrown  by 
her  enemies. 

All  that  can  be  said  of  the  walls  of  the  original  Jebus 
must  be  largely  hypothetical,  and  yet,  if  the  opinion  advo- 
cated in  the  chapter  on  the  "  City  of  David  and  Solomon  "  be 
correct,  conjecture  may  here  reach  reasonable  accuracy.  Mount 
Zion  was  a  well  defined  elevation  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
valleys.  A  people  depending  for  safety  upon  the  strength  of 
city  walls,  would  place  those  walls  where  they  would  present 
the  most  effective  resistance  to  attack.  This  would  be  on  the 
very  brow  of  the  hill  where  the  depression  of  the  valleys  would 
be  most  precipitous.  Accordingly  we  can  hardly  be  far  wrong 
in  asserting  that  the  walls  of  Jebus  skirted  the  brow  of  Mount 
Psalm  xlviii.  12,  1 3. 
103 


104  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Zion,  so  that  one  standing  on  them  could  look  from  any  quar- 
ter and  see  below  him  the  steep  hillside  terminating  in  the  bed 
of  the  valley.  Josephus'  declaration,  when  speaking  of  the 
place  at  the  time  of  its  capture  by  David,  bears  out  this  con- 
jecture. He  says  that  "The  upper  city  (Jebus)  was  not  to 
be  taken  without  great  difficulty,  on  account  of  the  strength  of 
its  walls  and  the  nature  of  the  place."  1  As  the  valley  on  the 
north  was  not  so  precipitous  as  the  hillsides  on  all  other  quar- 
ters, the  fortifications  would  here  be  made  doubly  strong. 
Support  is  given  to  this  opinion  by  the  fact  that  the  attack  was 
made  and  the  entrance  effected  on  the  eastern  side,  where  the 
hill  was  especially  steep.  Nature  having  here  done  so  much, 
the  Jebusite  trusted  most  in  it ;  herein  lay  his  fatal  mistake. 

When  Jebus  became  Jerusalem  and  Solomon  reigned  over 
united  Israel,  the  weak  parts  of  the  old  walls  were  strengthened 
and  additions  made.  The  language  used  in  describing  these 
improvements  is  not  definite  enough  to  warrant  positive  state- 
ments as  to  their  nature  or  location.  Solomon  added  much, 
if  we  suppose  his  moral  operations  confined  to  that  wonderful 
masonry  that  surrounded  the  temple  area.  But  he  accom- 
plished more  than  this,  for  "  he  built  Millo  and  repaired  the 
breaches  of  the  City  of  David,"  2  and  added  "the  wall  round 
about."3  Notices  of  repairs  and  improvements  to  the  walls 
are  scattered  and  fragmentary,  and  no  satisfactory  conclusions 
can  be  drawn  from  them.  After  the  return  from  the  Babylon- 
ish captivity,  the  ruined  walls  were  reconstructed  ;  as  we  read 
in  the  third  chapter  of  Nehemiah,  the  most  important  docu- 
ment we  have  for  the  study  of  the  city  at  that  time.  Those 
who  wish  to  investigate  more  thoroughly  the  varying  interpre- 
tations of  this  chapter,  are  referred  to  Thrupp's  "Ancient 
Jerusalem,"  Barclay's  "City  of  the  Great  King,"  and  Wil- 
liams' "Holy  City." 

Nehemiah's  rebuilding  of  the  walls  was  begun  about  450 
b.  c.  Sixty-five  years  previous  to  this  the  temple  had  been  re- 
1  Jos.  Ant.,  v.  2,  §  2.  *  I  Kings  xi.  27.  3  1  Kings  iii.  1. 


The  Walls  and  Gates  105 

built.  Owing  to  the  diminished  population  and  wealth,  these 
walls  were  probably  not  so  imposing  as  those  whose  place  they 
took.  They  were,  however,  the  work  of  a  zealous  and  patri- 
otic people,  seeking  the  return  of  their  departed  glory.  As 
they  were  constructed  then,  so  probably  they  appeared  in  the 
time  of  the  Master's  visits  to  the  city.  During  this  period — 
450  years — Jerusalem  passed  through  many  fiery  trials.  One 
destroyer  followed  closely  upon  the  heels  of  another.  Persian, 
Egyptian,  Syrian,  Roman,  each  took  possession,  held  it  for  a 
time  and  was  expelled.  The  walls  fell,  but  in  each  case  were 
rebuilt,  and  probably  without  change  of  location. 

In  the  time  of  Christ  there  were  two  walls  on  the  north. 
The  most  southern  of  these,  now  called  the  old  or  first  wall, 
began  at  the  tower  of  Hippicus,  near  the  present  Jaffa  Gate, 
followed  the  northern  brow  of  the  hill,  crossed  the  Tyropean 
on  the  earthworks  of  Millo  and  joined  the  west  wall  of  the 
temple  near  the  Council  House,  or  quarters  of  the  Sanhedrin. 
According  to  Josephus  this  wall  "was  almost  impregnable, 
both  on  account  of  the  valleys  that  surrounded  it  and  because 
of  the  hill  above  them,  on  which  it  was  erected."  In  addi- 
tion to  the  advantages  of  its  position,  it  had  been  strongly 
built ;  David  and  Solomon,  and  the  kings  that  followed  them, 
having  been  very  zealous  about  the  work.1  Of  this  wall  noth- 
ing that  can  be  positively  identified  remains,  though  were  ex- 
cavations permitted  in  the  heart  of  the  present  city,  there  is 
no  doubt  that  the  exact  course  of  the  wall  could  be  traced  and 
one  or  two  of  its  important  gates  located.  This  permission 
will  not  be  granted,  and,  should  it  be,  so  much  expense  would 
be  involved  that  no  exploration  society  would  undertake  it. 

The  direction  and  location  of  the  second  wall  are  questions 
that  have  been  warmly  discussed,  but  not  yet  conclusively  set- 
tled. Of  this  Josephus  says:  "The  second  wall  had  its  be- 
ginning at  the  gate  they  called  Gennath,  one  of  the  gates  of 
the  first  wall,  and  encircling  only  the  northern  part  of  the 
1  Josephus'  Wars,  v.  4,  §  2. 


106  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

town,  reached  as  far  as  Antonia."  Where  was  the  gate  Gen- 
ii ath  ?  It  has  been  located  on  paper  at  various  points  between 
the  tower  of  Hippicus  and  the  "  middle  of  the  northern  wall 
of  the  upper  city. ' '  It  has  not  been  located  on  ground  by  mod- 
ern explorers,  but  there  was  found  a  few  years  ago  some  very 
heavy  masonry  under  the  New  Hotel  that  strongly  inclines  one 
to  the  belief  that  Doctor  Robinson  was  correct  when,  more  than 
thirty  years  ago,  he  located  the  Gennath  Gate  near  the  Hippicus 
tower,  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  upper  city.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  these  remains  are  part  of  an  ancient  city  wall, 
they  tend  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  are  in  line  with  some 
magnificent  mural  ruins  now  forming  the  foundation  of  the 
Frere's  College.  These  two  fragments  are  identical  in  the 
style  of  their  stonework  and  in  size  with  that  at  the  present 
Damascus  Gate,  which  is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  part  of 
the  second  wall.  The  only  reason  why  all  these  are  not  so 
acknowledged,  is  because  of  the  result  that  would  follow  in 
connection  with  some  sacred  sites.  This  wall  included  a  con- 
siderable space  north  of  the  first  wall.  Its  western  extremity 
was  at  the  present  Damascus  Gate,  from  which  point  it  pro- 
ceeded southward  and  united  with  the  fortress  of  Antonia. 
Josephus  assigns  no  date  to  the  building  of  this  wall.  It  was 
probably  the  work  of  the  two  kings,  Hezekiah  and  Manasseh, 
who  added  in  this  way  much  to  the  city's  strength.  A  very 
considerable  part  of  this  second  wall  stood  just  where  the  north 
wall  of  the  modern  city  stands,  at  least  from  the  Frer6's  Col- 
lege to  the  Damascus  Gate,  thus  leaving  out  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  present  city. 

The  third  wall  was  begun  twelve  years  after  the  crucifixion 
of  our  Lord.  Herod  Agrippa  undertook  this  immense  work 
intending  to  surround  certain  parts  of  the  city  that  had  grown 
up  on  the  north  and  which  were  without  any  protection  in 
case  of  an  attack.  This  included  a  great  part  of  what  is  now 
known  as  New  Jerusalem.  Beginning  at  the  tower  Hippicus 
it  proceeded  "  as  far  as  the  north  quarter  of  the  city  and  the 


1  4 

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The  Walls  and  Gates  107 

tower  Psephinos,  and  then  was  extended  till  it  came  over 
against  the  monuments  of  Helena,  which  Helena  was  queen  of 
Adiabene,  the  daughter  of  Izates ;  it  then  extended  further  to 
a  great  length  and  passed  by  the  sepulchral  caverns  of  the  kings 
and  bent  again  at  the  tower  of  the  corner,  at  the  monument 
which  is  called  'the  Monument  of  the  Fuller,'  and  joined  to 
the  old  wall  at  the  valley  called  the  Valley  of  Kedron."  1 

This  description  of  the  Jewish  historian  was  no  doubt  well 
understood  in  his  day.  We  of  to-day  know  the  starting  point, 
but  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  tower  of  Psephinos. 
That  tower  was  octagonal  in  shape ;  hence  the  ruins  under  the 
Frere's  College  are  not,  as  some  have  claimed,  the  remnants 
of  it.  The  probability  is  that  this  tower  was  much  further 
north.  But  wherever  it  was,  from  it  the  wall  of  Agrippa 
turned  to  the  east,  crossed  the  upper  Tyropean  valley  and 
went  by  the  tomb  of  Queen  Helena,  of  Adiabene.  A  remnant 
of  this  wall  is  still  to  be  seen  in  this  neighborhood,  just  near 
the  residence  of  the  Anglican  Bishop,  the  masonry  of  whose 
house  is  largely  composed  of  stones  derived  from  it.  Reach- 
ing the  brow  of  the  hill  above  the  valley  of  Jehosephat  the 
wall  turned  toward  the  south  and  joined  the  temple  wall  at  the 
northeast  corner. 

The  character  of  Agrippa's  work  was  such  as  to  excite  the 
suspicions  of  Marsus,  Roman  procurator  of  Syria,  who  feared 
that  the  Jews  were  thus  preparing  for  an  insurrection  against 
the  domination  of  the  foreigner.  Accordingly  Marsus  wrote 
to  Claudius  Caesar  expressing  his  fears  as  to  the  result  if  the 
work  was  allowed  to  be  carried  on  to  completion.  In  reply 
Claudius  commanded  Agrippa  to  discontinue  his  labors  in  this 
direction.  Agrippa  had  to  obey  the  imperial  mandate.  Had 
he  been  permitted  to  complete  the  undertaking  there  was  no 
enginery  of  war  in  those  days  that  could  have  successfully  be- 
sieged it.  The  Jews  afterward  were  granted  permission  to 
carry  out,  at  least  partially,  the  plan  of  Agrippa.  According 
1  Josephus'  Wars  v.  4,  §2. 


io8  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

to  Tacitus 1  the  Jews  were  able  to  buy  this  privilege  of  fortify- 
ing their  city  from  corrupt  Roman  officials.  Josephus  is  loud 
in  his  praise  of  this  wall.  "  Its  parts  were  connected  together 
by  stones  twenty  cubits  long  and  ten  cubits  broad,  which 
could  never  have  been  either  easily  undermined  by  any  iron 
tools  or  shaken  by  any  engines."  2  "  Now  the  third  wall  was 
all  of  it  wonderful." 

Hardly  a  particle  of  this  great  work  now  remains  in  situ. 
The  succeeding  wall  and  church  and  house  builders  used  its 
good  material  in  their  inferior  structures.  The  disastrous  ex- 
periences through  which  the  city  passed  shortly  afterward 
levelled  all  its  pride  of  walls  with  the  earth.  Succeeding 
rulers — Roman,  Greek,  Christian  and  Moslem — sought  to  give 
the  city  some  of  its  former  glory  of  mural  strength  and  deco- 
ration ;  they  were  not  successful.  Since  the  destruction  by 
Titus  the  recovery  has  only  been  partial  and  although  the 
walls  of  the  modern  Jerusalem  are  as  substantial  as  were  any 
of  their  recent  predecessors,  they  are  altogether  inferior  to  the 
works  of  the  early  kings  and  of  the  Herods.  The  latter  are 
built  of  immense  stones — many  of  them  twenty  feet  long  by 
two  feet  thick  and  four  feet  wide — carefully  and  accurately 
laid ;  the  former  are  composed  of  material  but  a  foot  or  two 
in  each  dimension. 

But  he  who  would  seek  to  cast  reproach  upon  the  present 
wall  for  the  smallness  of  its  stones  and  its  inferior  workmanship 
has  a  serious  fact  to  contend  against.  Three  centuries  and 
a  half  have  tested  it,  and  work  that  even  in  times  of  peace  will 
endure  through  so  many  years  is  in  no  danger  of  losing  by 
comparison  with  similar  work  done  to-day.  Sulieman,  the 
Magnificent,  was  the  builder  of  this  wall  and  that  he  was  not 
ashamed  of  his  achievement  is  attested  by  the  inscriptions 
found  on  several  of  the  city  gates.  The  date  of  their  erection 
was  1536  to  1542.  There  is  a  local  tradition  which  narrates 
that  the  construction  was  effected  by  two  brothers  who  began 
'Tacitus  Hist.  v.  12,  2  Josephus'  Wars,  v.  4,  §2. 


The  Walls  and  Gates  109 

work  at  the  Jaffa  Gate  and  did  not  see  each  other  until  seven 
years  later,  as  they  worked  in  opposite  directions,  and  at  the 
end  of  this  time  met  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city  where  the 
St.  Stephen  Gate  now  is.  The  four  lions  on  this  gate  are 
the  brothers'  marks.  These  lions  are  not  the  work  of  the 
iconoclastic  Moslems,  but  rather  of  some  previous  Christian 
occupants  of  the  city. 

The  Jaffa  Gate  is  the  most  convenient  starting  place  for 
making  a  tour  of  the  walls.  This  gate  is  called  by  the  natives 
Bab  el-Khaleel — the  Gate  of  the  Friend,  because  from  it  trav- 
ellers from  the  city  go  to  Hebron,  the  place  of  Abraham  the 
Friend  of  God.  The  road  from  Jaffa  meets  the  Hebron  road 
here,  making  this  the  most  important  entrance  to  the  city.  A 
crowd  of  carriages,  donkeys  and  shouting  men  are  always  near, 
and  a  constant  stream  of  varied  and  variegated  humanity  is 
passing  in  and  out.  An  important  gate  has  always  been  in 
this  vicinity,  and  writers  generally  locate  here  the  site  of  the 
Valley  Gate  of  Nehemiah.1  From  this  point  Nehemiah  made 
a  circuit  of  the  ruined  walls.  There  is  no  question  that  a 
valley  did  commence  here  and,  tending  to  the  east  through 
this  part  of  the  city,  merged  into  the  Tyropean  valley. 

Turning  to  the  left  after  leaving  the  gate  one  passes  a  little 
' '  receipt  of  custom ' '  where  a  lynx-eyed  Turk  is  supposed  to 
watch  every  camel,  donkey,  wagon  or  man  bringing  any  ar- 
ticle of  merchandise  into  the  city.  The  contraband  goods  are 
wine,  salt  and  tobacco  and  it  goes  hard  with  the  individual 
who  tries  to  smuggle  any  in,  if  he  is  detected.  Until  within 
a  few  years  this  and  all  the  city  gates  were  closed  at  nightfall 
and  any  one  unfortunate  enough  to  be  overtaken  by  night  on 
the  road  was  obliged  to  do  the  best  he  could  on  the  outside 
and  in  those  dangerous  times  the  best  he  could  do  was  some- 
times very  bad .  Later  a  small  door  was  cut  through  the  large 
gate,  and  a  belated  traveller  who  could  give  a  satisfactory  ac- 
count of  himself  and  a  satisfactory  "bucksheesh"  to  the 
'  Neh.  ii.  13. 


110  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

sentry  in  charge  could  be  admitted.  This  small  door  has  been 
used  to  illustrate  the  Saviour's  saying  of  the  camel  going 
through  the  needle's  eye.  There  are  two  things  against  the 
application,  first  that  there  were  no  such  doors  in  the  large 
gates  of  the  city  in  our  Lord's  time,  and  secondly,  that  no 
camels  would  ever  have  been  admitted  if  there  had  been  such 
doors ;  they  could  not  have  been.  Now  the  large  gates  are 
never  closed.  At  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night  one  can  come 
and  go  as  he  will,  provided  only  that  at  night  he  must  carry  a 
lantern  or  explain  its  absence  to  the  police. 

For  two  hundred  yards  we  follow  the  Bethlehem  road  hav- 
ing on  our  left  the  citadel  and  barracks.  A  fine  escarpment 
of  smooth-faced  masonry,  which  descends  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees  to  the  ditch,  is  visible.  A  steep  road  leads  off  to 
the  left  and  brings  us  up  to  the  wall  near  the  southwest  corner. 
All  along  here  the  wall  is  admirably  located  and  sufficiently 
strong  to  resist  the  ordnance  used  when  it  was  built.  The 
height  here  will  average  about  forty  feet,  but  is  irregular  owing 
to  the  immense  amounts  of  debris  that  have  been  allowed  to 
accumulate.  In  fact  this  is  the  average  height  of  the  entire 
wall,  though  in  some  places  it  is  twice  this.  At  this  south- 
west corner  we  turn  to  the  east  and  see  just  before  us  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  The  wall  along  this  south  side  bears  strong 
evidence  of  several  ages  and  builders.  Here  and  there  is  a 
large  bevelled  stone,  while  near  it  will  be  a  smaller  smooth- 
faced one,  and  perhaps  one  bearing  signs  of  ornamentation 
showing  that  its  original  place  was  in  some  palace  or  temple. 
Just  south  of  the  wall  here  the  various  Christian  churches  have 
their  burial  grounds  each  surrounded  with  walls  almost  as  im- 
posing as  those  of  the  city. 

About  two  hundred  yards  from  the  southwest  corner  is  the 
Zion  Gate — called  by  the  Moslems  the  Bab  en-Nebi  Daud  be- 
cause it  is  near  their  tomb  of  David.  Behind  one  of  its  doors 
was  discovered  in  January,  1895,  an  inscription  dating  from 
Roman  times.     The  walls  had  been  carefully  inspected  for  in- 


The  Walls  and  Gates  in 

scriptions  but  this  one  was  hidden  behind  a  solid  gate,  until  a 
winter  storm,  overturning  the  gate,  gave  us  this  interesting 
proof  that  the  Third  Legion  was  at  one  time  stationed  in  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  architecture  of  this  gate  corresponds  with  that  of  the 
Jaffa  Gate.  The  descent  of  Mount  Zion  into  the  Tyropean 
valley  commences  just  a  little  east  of  here ;  the  wall  makes  a 
right  angle  to  the  north  for  a  short  distance  then  turns  again 
to  the  east.  In  the  middle  of  the  valley  is  the  Dung  Gate, 
much  smaller  and  less  interesting  than  any  of  the  others. 
Eight  minutes'  walk  brings  us  to  another  angle  which  is  made 
to  the  north  where  the  city  wall  joins  that  of  the  temple  en- 
closure. The  wall  just  here  is  in  very  bad  condition  and  looks 
as  if  it  might  topple  over  on  slight  provocation.  The  union  is 
made  just  at  the  Mosque  el-Aksa,  near  the  ancient  Double 
Gate,  where  can  be  seen  some  fine  Jewish  stonework,  though 
the  exterior  has  unmistakable  Roman  additions.  The  Triple 
Gate  is  soon  reached  and  a  walk  of  ninety-three  yards  brings 
us  past  the  Single  Gate  to  the  southeast  angle,  the  most  inter- 
esting because  the  least  modern,  part  of  the  modern  walls. 
The  immense  stones  I  do  not  hesitate  to  date  from  the  time  of 
Solomon.  They  are  beginning  to  crumble  in  certain  places, 
though  the  great  thickness  of  the  wall  they  compose  guarantees 
that  they  can  bear  the  burden  resting  upon  them  for  a  few 
centuries  longer. 

At  this  southeast  angle  Captains  Warren  and  Wilson  carried 
on  some  interesting  explorations  in  1868.  They  were  ham- 
pered a  great  deal  by  the  Moslem  officials,  who  were  jealous 
lest  they  should  penetrate  the  walls  of  the  Noble  Sanctuary. 
The  character  of  the  earth  through  which  they  had  to  drive 
their  tunnels  also  retarded  them,  but  in  the  main  they  were  suc- 
cessful.1 The  earth  was  composed  largely  of  debris,  "  principally 
of  stone  chippings,  alternating  with  layers  of  fat  earth,  and  in 
some  places  rough  stones  about  a  foot  cube."2  The  most 
1  See  "  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,"  p.  135,  et  seq.         2  Ibid.  p.  137. 


112  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

satisfactory  discovery  was  the  marking  of  the  stones  in  the 
lower  layers,  some  eighty  feet  below  the  present  surface. 
Some  of  these  markings  were  made  with  red  paint,  others  by 
the  tools  of  the  workmen  and  were  pronounced  by  Mr. 
Emanuel  Deutsch,  an  authority  on  such  matters,  to  be  undoubt- 
edly characters  representing  Phoenician  numerals ;  pieces  of 
pottery  were  also  found  at  this  depth  bearing  legible  inscrip- 
tions in  the  same  characters ;  so  that  the  evidence  that  these 
were  the  very  stones  put  in  place  by  the  masons  of  Hiram, 
king  of  Tyre,  is,  if  not  conclusive,  very  strong.  One  of  the 
stones  found  in  this  angle  is  estimated  by  Captain  Warren  to 
weigh  one  hundred  tons.  A  short  distance  from  this  angle 
can  be  seen  the  spring  of  an  immense  arch.  It  is  not  quite  so 
evident  as  that  known  as  Robinson's  arch,  which  corresponds 
almost  exactly  with  it  on  the  west  wall  of  the  temple  enclosure, 
but  is  just  as  certainly  the  remains  of  an  arch.  Standing 
near  it  and  looking  across  the  Kedron  valley  one  can  see  that 
a  bridge  at  this  point  was  not  impossible  to  those  builders  and 
not  much  more  of  a  feat  than  the  one  that  crossed  the  Tyropean 
from  the  temple  enclosure  to  Mount  Zion  at  Robinson's  Arch. 
The  Rabbins  speak  of  such  a  bridge. 

Coming  north  from  this  point  we  pass  some  of  the 
ancient,  but  very  much  more  of  the  modern  wall ;  there  is 
nothing  of  note  till  we  reach  the  exterior  of  the  Golden  Gate ; 
the  interior  has  already  been  spoken  of.  Just  before  we  reach 
this,  however,  the  filled-in  masonry  indicates  that  a  small  door 
once  opened  into  the  temple  enclosure.  The  history  of  this  is 
obscure,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  the  Crusaders, 
and  to  have  conducted  by  a  flight  of  steps  to  the  Kedron 
valley.  The  Golden  Gate  projects  six  feet  from  the  wall. 
The  double  entrance  and  richness  of  ornamentation  are  notice- 
able from  this  side.  In  the  hope  of  securing  some  valuable 
information  Captain  Warren  sought  to  excavate  here,  but  ow- 
ing to  the  nature  of  the  ground  and  the  proximity  of  Moslem 
tombs  the  results  were  not  satisfactory.     North  of  the  gate  for 


The  Walls  and  Gates  113 

about  373  feet  can  be  traced  the  magnificent  and  massive 
masonry  of  the  ancient  builders.  One  stone  measures  five  feet 
in  height  and  twenty-seven  in  length.  At  the  northeast  angle 
of  the  temple  the  ancient  stones  are  seen  to  the  very  top  of  the 
wall.  These  are  many  of  them  not  in  situ,  but  have  been 
replaced  by  later  restorers.  Here  once  stood  an  important 
tower,  supposed  by  some  to  be  the  Tower  of  Hananeel. 
About  200  feet  north  of  this  is  the  Gate  of  St.  Stephen,  known 
to  the  natives  as  Bab  Sitti  Miriam,  or  Gate  of  the  Lady  Mary, 
so  called  because  it  leads  to  the  supposed  tomb  of  the  Mother 
of  Christ  which  is  near  it  in  the  valley. 

Its  name,  St.  Stephen,  was  given  to  it  in  the  fourteenth 
century  when  it  was  somehow  considered  that  a  mistake  had 
been  made  in  giving  that  name  to  the  Damascus  Gate.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  belief  that  near  this  eastern  entrance  the 
proto-martyr  was  stoned  the  name  was  transferred  from  the 
north  gate.  Just  a  short  distance  outside  the  east  gate  on  the 
Bethany  road  the  spot  where  Stephen  met  his  death  by  being 
stoned  is  pointed  out ;  the  place  on  the  rock  is  worn  smooth 
by  the  lips  of  the  devout.  There  is  nothing  of  note  about  the 
gate  itself  except  the  four  crude  lions  cut  in  the  stones  let  in 
the  wall,  two  on  each  side. 

A  ten  minutes'  walk  northward  brings  one  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  present  wall.  It  is  all  modern  along  here  and  is 
built  on  the  face  of  the  cliff,  which  has  been  cut  away  to  form 
a  ditch  which  did  the  double  service  of  furnishing  material  to 
build  the  wall  and  assisting  in  the  protection  of  it.  The  same 
is  true  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  north  wall,  which,  from  this 
corner  west  as  far  as  the  Damascus  Gate,  is  nearly  all  modern. 

Between  the  northeast  angle  and  the  Damascus  Gate  is  the 
unimportant  Herod  Gate  called  by  the  natives  Bab  ez  Zahire — 
Gate  of  splendor.  Its  splendor  is  confined  to  its  name,  for 
there  is  nothing  in  itself  or  about  its  surroundings  to  warrant 
the  appellation.     Until  recently  it  was  continually  closed. 

Between   this   and   the   great   north  gate  is  the  deep  cut 


114  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

through  Bezetha.  This  cut  is  nearly  a  hundred  yards  wide 
and  at  some  points  must  have  been  a  hundred  feet  deep. 
The  ditch  has  been  much  filled  in.  Here  is  the  entrance  to 
the  royal  caverns.  A  little  further  west  is  the  Damascus  Gate, 
built  on  an  old  foundation  out  of  all  kinds  of  material.  The 
natives  call  this  Bad  el  'Amud — Gate  of  the  column.  Some 
old  masonry  is  to  be  seen  here.  There  are  two  angles  in  the 
gate.  Coming  out  of  the  city  and  just  before  turning  the 
first  angle  one  can  see,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  present  sur- 
face, the  top  of  the  arch  of  the  ancient  gate.  This  gives  some 
idea  of  the  filling  in  process  that  has  gone  on  during  the 
centuries. 

The  wall  now  turns  slightly  toward  the  south  and  proceeds 
to  the  northwest  angle.  The  only  break  is  at  the  New  Gate 
which  is  a  modern  improvement.  This  angle  at  which  are  the 
ruins  of  the  Kala't  al  Jolud,  castle  of  Goliath,  is  the  highest 
point  in  the  city,  and  from  it  a  good  view  can  be  obtained. 
It  is  now  Latin  property. 

The  wall  then  turns  straight  south  until  the  Jaffa  Gate  is 
reached.  Between  the  corner  and  this  gate  it  is  almost  hidden 
from  view  by  buildings,  which  are  about  the  best  in  the  city, 
and  are  occupied  by  European  shopkeepers,  bankers  and  the 
like. 

The  measurement  of  the  entire  city  wall  is  two  and  a  half 
miles.  To  walk  the  distance  gives  one  a  very  good  idea  of 
the  general  topography  of  the  place,  and  of  the  neighboring 
hills  and  valleys  and  villages.  The  walls  are  no  longer  useful 
for  protection ;  they  can  hardly  be  called  ornamental ;  they 
add  to  the  city's  quaintness  and  picturesqueness,  and  for  this 
reason  only  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  remain. 


THE  HILLS  ROUND  ABOUT 


Mounts  Zion  and  Moriah — Their  Prominence — Mount  of 
Olives — Roads  to  and  Over — View  From — Judean  Wilderness 
— Ancient  Churches  On — Felix  Fabri — Excavations — Greek 
Possessions — Russian  Tower — Associations  of  Olivet — Ascen- 
sion— Chapel  of  Pater  Noster — Hebrew  Cemetery — Jerusalem 
and  Olivet — Christ  and  Olivet — Mount  of  Offence — Hill  of 
Evil  Council — Aceldama — Nikophoria — Monument  of  Herod 
— Mt.  Scopas — Psalmist's  Accuracy. 


116 


VII 

THE  HILLS  ROUND  ABOUT 

THE  hills  upon  which  the  city  is  built  have  already  been 
sufficiently  described  in  this  book ;  their  importance  is 
due  to  their  selection  as  the  site  for  the  "  City  of  the  Great 
King."  Mount  Moriah  and  Mount  Zion — they  are  Jerusalem 
— as  well  known  to  the  world  at  large  as  any  two  mountains 
that  may  be  named.  It  is  perhaps  an  exaggeration  to  call 
them  mountains:  Mount  Zion  is  less  than  2,600  feet  above 
the  Mediterranean,  while  the  summit  of  Moriah  is  a  little  more 
than  100  feet  lower  than  its  western  neighbor.  They  are  hills, 
rising  out  of  the  long  range  that  runs  north  from  the  desert  to 
Esdraelon.  Their  prominence  is  historic  and  religious  rather 
than  physical.  The  hills  about  Hebron  are  400  feet  higher, 
and  had  King  David  been  seeking  for  altitude  he  might  better 
have  continued  to  make  Hebron  his  capital.  The  Mount  of 
Olives  and  Mount  Scopas  are  both  higher  than  either  of  the 
hills  in  the  city  by  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  It  was  what 
Nature  had  done  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Zion  and  Moriah 
that  made  them  "admirable  for  defence,"  and  defence  was 
the  great  requisite  in  the  troublous  times  when  the  city  was 
founded,  and  later  when  the  Jews  were  conquering  the  land. 
Had  it  not  been  so,  the  plains  of  Rephaim  a  mile  to  the  south- 
west, or  the  broad  plateau  just  north  of  Jerusalem,  would  have 
furnished  a  much  better  site  for  city  construction. 

In  the  estimation  of  Christians,  the  Mount  of  Olives  will 
rank  as  an  equal  in  importance  to  the  two  already  mentioned. 
It  lies  directly  east  of  the  city  and,  unless  one  is  on  an  eleva- 
tion, shuts  off  the  view  in  this  direction.  Passing  out  of  the 
city  at  the  St.  Stephen's  Gate  the  Bethany  road  is  followed  till 
it  leads  down  to  and  across  the  Kedron  valley   and  as  far  as 

117 


n8  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  northeast  corner  of  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane.  Here 
one  of  three  roads  may  be  taken.  The  easternmost  is  the  old 
Bethany  road — the  only  one  until  within  a  few  years,  the  one 
along  which  the  Christ  often  came  with  His  disciples  as  He 
walked  from  the  city  of  Mary  and  Martha  to  the  City  of  the 
Great  King — a  distance  of  two  miles.  If  for  the  sake  of  sen- 
timent we  follow  this  old  road  we  pass  around  the  southeastern 
spur  of  Olivet,  descend  into  a  deep  wady,  climb  the  steep 
side  of  the  eastern  spur  and  gain  a  view  of  the  town  of  Bethany. 
A  closer  inspection  will  not  increase  our  attachment  or  respect 
for  the  modern  town.  From  this  point  one  can  get  a  very 
comprehensive  view  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea  that  lies  be- 
tween the  valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  central  mountain  range ; 
for  the  desert  reaches  almost  to  the  city. 

It  is  a  view  at  once  curious  and  suggestive.  Its  conforma- 
tions, due  to  the  character  of  the  soil  composing  it,  are  unlike 
anything  I  have  seen  and  are  only  approached  by  the  Bad 
Lands  of  western  North  Dakota.  Except  for  two  months  in 
the  year,  every  part  of  this  wilderness  is  devoid  of  vegetation, 
except  where  an  occasional  spring  in  the  mountains  sends  its 
little  stream  through  the  wadies.  Along  this  stream  a  few 
shrubs  find  life,  but  are  so  hidden  in  the  gorge-like  valleys  as 
to  be  beyond  vision,  and  thus  have  no  effect  upon  general  ap- 
pearances. Occasionally  in  the  landscape  can  be  seen  a  coni- 
cal hill,  looking  very  much  like  a  Montana  butte.  The  lime- 
stone mountains  have  taken  during  the  ages  many  strange 
forms,  and  are  honeycombed  with  caves  in  which  the  jackal, 
hyena  and  other  animals  find  protection  from  the  hot  rays  of 
the  summer  sun  and  the  cold  rains  of  winter.  And  beyond 
the  Ghor — the  name  the  natives  give  to  the  Jordan  valley — 
rise  the  purple  hills  of  Moab  looking  like  a  wall  against  the 
sky. 

From  this  Bethany  spur  one  can  ascend  gradually  to  the 
summit  of  the  mount  itself,  going  in  a  northerly  direction  and 
passing  on  the  way  one  of  the  traditional  sites  of  the  village  of 


The  Hills  Round  About  1 1 9 

Bethphage.  Two  buildings  mark  the  place.  From  here  the 
road  is  quite  steep.  On  either  side  are  terraces  well  cared  for 
and  yielding  profitable  returns,  as  would  most  of  these  barren- 
looking  hillsides  of  Judea  if  they  had  proper  attention.  Soon 
the  place  where  recent  excavations  have  been  made  is  reached. 
The  Christian  world  had  forgotten  that  the  early  defenders  of 
its  religion  had  built  imposing  edifices  upon  Olivet.  There 
are  scattered  allusions  to  such  churches  in  the  writings  of  some 
of  the  Fathers,  but  since  the  Moslem  possession  of  the  land  all 
traces  of  the  buildings  themselves  had  disappeared.  A  native 
Christian,  sinking  for  a  foundation  for  a  house  he  proposed  to 
erect  came  upon  some  well  preserved  pillars  in  situ.  The 
report  soon  spread  and  the  excavator  of  the  Palestine  Explora- 
tion Society,  who  was  then  operating  on  Mount  Zion,  un- 
earthed a  number  of  columns  and  three  small  rooms  with  well 
preserved  mosaic  floors. 

Felix  Fabri,  the  great  traveller,  who  describes  in  detail  all 
he  saw  in  Palestine,  passed  right  by  the  place  of  these  discov- 
eries over  400  years  ago.  As  he  mentions  nothing  about 
them  it  is  altogether  probable  that  they  were  then  buried  be- 
neath the  surface. 

Besides  the  rooms,  or  perhaps  chapels,  above  mentioned, 
cisterns,  a  pool  and  drains  were  unearthed.  In  one  of  the 
pavements  was  found  a  very  interesting  well-executed  mosaic 
inscription  in  Greek  letters. 

The  summit  of  the  mount  is  soon  reached  or  rather  one  of 
the  summits,  for  there  are  really  three.  The  principal  one, 
however,  is  meant  and  this  is  the  one  that  has  been  selected 
by  Latins  and  Greeks  as  a  suitable  place  to  locate  some  of 
their  religious  buildings.  The  Greeks — as  usual — own  most 
of  the  desirable  property  here  and  have  spoiled  it  with  their 
structures;  not  that  these  are  not  fine  and  costly  buildings, 
but  because  Olivet  is  one  of  the  places  one  would  prefer  to  see 
fr^e  from  any  effort  at  human  ornamentation.  But  here  they 
hiive  their  church,  and  tower  and  shrines  and  residences  of 


120  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ecclesiastical  functionaries.  The  Latins  are  vying  with  the 
Greeks  and  have  their  chapel  of  Paternoster,  and  have  lately 
purchased  quite  a  tract  of  land  and  are  preparing  to  build 
something.  It  will  probably  mark  some  traditional  site — 
whether  authentic  or  not  matters  little. 

The  Russian  tower  is  a  very  imposing  edifice,  and  from  its 
lofty  summit  can  be  had  a  most  excellent  view.  It  is  said,  and 
correctly,  that  the  Russians  have  so  located  towers  on  certain 
high  points  throughout  the  land  that  each  can  be  plainly  seen 
from  the  others  that  are  near  it  on  either  side.  It  is  also  said, 
though  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  correctness  of  this,  that  they 
have  a  well-established  and  well-understood  code  of  signals, 
and  that  while  these  towers  were  ostensibly  built  for  religious 
purposes  they  were  really  intended  as  a  preliminary  to  Russian 
occupation  of  the  country.  It  is  no  secret  that  the  great  Mus- 
covite power  would  willingly  add  this  bit  of  Turkey  to  her  pres- 
ent immense  territory.  The  other  European  powers  know 
this,  and  it  is  whispered  that  if  Turkey  is  ever  dismembered 
one  or  two  of  them  may  put  in  a  claim  for  Palestine.  There 
is  also  a  desire  on  the  part  of  Christendom  outside  the  Czar's 
dominions  that  when  a  change  comes  it  may  be  a  beneficial 
one  to  the  long  oppressed  Holy  Land,  and  with  this  there  is  a 
deep-seated  and  almost  universal  conviction  that  Muscovite 
civilization  is  but  little  in  advance  of  that  illustrated  by  the 
Turk. 

It  was  somewhere  near  this  summit  of  Olivet  that  Christ 
viewed  the  city  and  wept  over  it ;  somewhere  near  that  He 
gathered  the  Twelve  at  various  times  and  taught  them  what  it 
was  necessary  for  them  as  first  ministers  of  a  new  Gospel  to 
know;  somewhere  near  that  "a  cloud  received  Him  out  of 
their  sight."  At  the  same  time  there  is  no  evidence  whatever 
that  any  of  the  memorials  of  these  events,  which  various 
branches  of  the  church  have  built,  are  located  on  the  places 
where  these  events  took  place.  For  most  of  them  even  the 
tradition  is  comparatively  recent.     The  place  of  the  Ascension 


The  Hills  Round  About  121 

cannot  be  where  the  church  of  that  name  now  stands  in  which 
is  shown  on  a  limestone  rock  a  marking  somewhat  resembling 
a  footprint  which  is  reputed  to  be  the  spot  of  earth  last 
touched  by  the  pierced  foot  of  the  Christ. 

On  Ascension  day  an  immense  crowd  of  native  Christians, 
and  whatever  pilgrims  are  in  the  city,  resort  to  this  place. 
Various  services  commemorative  of  the  day  are  held.  A  cir- 
cular wall,  which,  judging  from  the  broken  pedestals  of  col- 
umns built  in  it,  follows  the  line  of  an  ancient  wall,  surrounds 
the  small  chapel  of  the  Ascension.  On  this  day  the  ground 
which  it  encloses  is  occupied  by  tents  of  the  various  churches. 
Each  must  be  careful  not  to  encroach  upon  territory  allotted 
to  another.  A  Moslem  minaret  overlooks  all,  and,  as  at  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  the  followers  of  the  Arab  Prophet  hold  in 
check  the  followers  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

The  chapel  of  the  Paternoster  is  near  the  top  of  the  mount 
on  the  southwestern  slope,  and  is  a  very  pretty  little  building. 
Upon  the  walls  of  an  arcade  built  around  a  small  garden  is  in- 
scribed the  Lord's  Prayer  in  thirty-two  different  languages. 
The  Princess  Latour  d'Auvergne  built  and  endowed  this  chapel, 
and  at  her  death  her  body  was  brought  here  and  interred. 
The  Carmelite  Sisters  reside  in  a  near-by  convent  and  care  for 
this  chapel.  Prayer  is  made  by  them  continually  in  this  place, 
and  no  matter  what  hour  of  the  day  or  night  one  were  to  enter 
he  may  see  the  sweet,  holy  face  of  one  of  these  sisters  as  she 
kneels. 

Coming  down  the  western  slope  by  one  of  the  old  roads,  the 
one  nearest  the  chapel  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  we  are  soon  in 
an  ancient  Hebrew  cemetery.  The  whole  side  of  the  mount 
along  here  is  covered  with  the  rude  slabs  lying  flat  upon  the 
graves,  some  of  them  with  the  inscriptions  clear  and  legible, 
others  so  worn  by  time  that  not  a  vestige  of  the  epitaph  can  be 
made  out.  For  centuries  this  has  been  a  burial  place  of  the 
Jews,  and  though  there  have  been  periods  when  they  sought 
sepulture  in  other  quarters  they  have  come  back  to  this.    From 


122  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  bed  of  the  Kedron  very  nearly  to  the  summit  of  Olivet  the 
stones  seem  almost  as  close  together  as  they  can  be  laid.  But 
the  graves  are  used  again.  The  dust  of  forgotten  millions  laid 
here  in  the  time  of  the  city's  prosperity  and  later  in  her  adver- 
sity awaits  the  awakening  trump.  For  the  Jews  believe  that 
those  of  their  people  who  are  buried  here  will  have  precedence 
in  the  resurrection,  and  many  of  the  sons  of  Israel,  whose 
whitening  heads  and  tottering  steps  indicate  that  their  earthly 
pilgrimage  is  nearly  ended,  come  to  spend  their  last  days  in 
their  ancestral  city  that  they  may  "be  gathered  unto  their 
fathers ' '  on  the  slope  of  Olivet. 

Thus  far  the  origin  of  the  name  Olivet  has  not  been  men- 
tioned. It  dates  from  the  time  of  the  Vulgate  translation  of 
the  Bible,  in  which  translation  the  Greek  name  of  the  moun- 
tain in  Acts  i.  12  is  given  as  Olivetum.  Of  course  the  origi- 
nal name  was  given  because  of  the  abundance  of  olive  trees 
growing  on  its  sides  and  summit.  The  name  is  hardly  appli- 
cable now,  for  the  mountain,  except  here  and  there,  has  been 
stripped  of  its  olive  groves.  In  one  of  the  depressions  on  the 
northwest  side  is  a  good-sized  orchard  yet  remaining  and,  be- 
cause of  some  ancient  rock  cuttings,  here  some  have  located 
Gethsemane,  taking  these  cuttings  as  the  remains  of  oil  presses. 
The  fig-tree  still  may  be  seen,  though  the  pine,  myrtle  and 
palm  that  flourished  in  our  Lord's  time  have  entirely  disap- 
peared. 

Jerusalem  and  Olivet  are  often  mentioned  together  in  Bible 
history,  so  often  that  they  are  "inseparably  united."  Dean 
Stanley1  says  that  Olivet  was,  "The  Park,  the  Ceramicus,  the 
Campus  Martius  of  Jerusalem."  Before  Jerusalem  had  become 
a  Jewish  possession  the  northern  summit  of  this  mountain  had 
been  selected  as  the  site  for  one  of  the  Hebrew  holy  cities. 
The  tabernacle  was  set  up  here  in  the  priestly  city  of  Nob  after 
the  loss  of  the  Ark  in  the  Philistine  wars.  Here  the  worship 
of  Jehovah  was  carried  on  before  the  temple  was  built  on  the 
1  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  187. 


The  Hills  Round  About  123 

lower  Mount  Moriah.  When  David  fled  from  Absalom  he  es- 
caped to  Mahanaim,  east  of  the  Jordan,  going  "  by  the  ascent 
of  Mount  Olivet."  Because  the  sacrifice  of  the  "red  heifer" 
could  not  be  offered  in  the  temple  the  animal  was  brought  to 
the  top  of  this  mountain  and  slain.  But  Olivet  is  chiefly  as- 
sociated with  the  life  of  Christ  on  earth — an  association  too 
well  known  to  be  given  in  detail  here. 

"By  one  of  those  strange  coincidences,  whether  accidental 
or  borrowed,  which  occasionally  appear  in  the  Rabbinical  writ- 
ings, it  is  said  in  the  Mishna,  that  the  Shekinah,  or  Presence 
of  God,  after  having  finally  retired  from  Jerusalem,  "dwelt" 
three  years  and  a  half  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  to  see  whether 
the  Jewish  people  would  or  would  not  repent,  calling  "  Return 
to  me,  O  my  sons,  and  I  will  return  to  you"  ;  "  Seek  ye  the 
Lord  while  He  may  be  found,  call  upon  Him  while  He  is 
.near";  and  then  when  all  was  in  vain  returned  to  its  own 
place.  "  Whether  or  not  this  story  has  a  direct  allusion  to 
the  ministrations  of  Christ  it  is  a  true  expression  of  His  relation 
respectively  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Olivet.  It  is  useless  to  seek 
for  traces  of  His  presence  in  the  streets  of  the  since  ten  times 
captured  city.  It  is  impossible  not  to  find  them  in  the  free 
space  of  the  Mount  of  Olives."  1 

The  Mount  of  Offence  lies  to  the  southeast  of  the  modern 
Jerusalem,  and  is  usually  called  a  part  of  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
That  this  is  the  correct  location  of  that  elevation  on  which 
Solomon  "  built  an  high  place  for  Chemosh,  the  abomination 
of  Moab  and  for  Moloch,  the  abomination  of  the  children  of 
Ammon,"  the  fact  that  it  is  described  as  "the  hill  which  is 
before  Jerusalem  "  2  indicates.  The  city  at  that  time  lay  con- 
siderably further  south  than  the  modern  one,  and  the  Hill  of 
Offence,  on  the  side  of  which  the  village  of  Siloam  is  built, 
would  be  directly  east  of  the  southern  part.  It  rises  abruptly 
from  the  Kedron  and  presents  on  its  face  toward  the  city  a 
very  rough,  rocky  appearance.  On  these  ledges  of  rock 
i  Stanley's  "  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  p.  189.  '  1  Kings  xi.  7. 


124  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Siloam  is  built — a  quaint  village,  picturesque  enough  at  a 
distance,  but  so  disgustingly  filthy  are  its  inhabitants  that  one 
might  well  imagine  that  the  "  abominations"  had  never  been 
removed. 

There  are  some  very  fine  sepulchral  cuttings  in  the  sides  of 
this  hill  and  the  village  is  built  in  and  over  them.  Otherwise 
there  is  nothing  distinctive  about  it.  It  is  much  like  hundreds 
of  other  hills  along  this  central  range.  Its  ancient  history  is 
not  calculated  to  inspire  respect  and  its  modern  Moslem  "  cliff- 
dwellers  "are  anything  but  attractive. 

Southwest  is  the  Hill  of  Evil  Council,  separated  from  Mount 
Zion  by  the  deep  valley  of  Hinnom.  Its  name  is  derived  from 
the  tradition  that  here  was  the  residence  of  Caiaphas  with 
whom  Judas  made  his  wretched  bargain  to  betray  his  Master. 
Aceldama  the  Field  of  Blood  is  still  pointed  out  and  in  Crusader 
times  was  used  "to  bury  strangers  in."  Here  also  is  the 
Judas  tree,  a  desolate  looking  fig  tree,  gazed  upon  with  awe  by 
ignorant  pilgrims,  who  are  informed  that  it  was  the  very  tree 
on  which  "the  traitor  "  hanged  himself.  There  is  that  about  it 
which  warrants  Barclay's  characterization1  that  it  is  "evi- 
dently cultured  and  trained  very  carefully  in  due  gibbet  form 
by  pio-tradition  hands — well  meant  pious  frauds  of  calculat- 
ing monks." 

This  hill  is  honeycombed  on  its  eastern  side  by  ancient 
rock-cut  tombs.  The  arrangement  of  the  natural  rock  terraces 
caused  it  to  be  chosen  as  a  necropolis  when  such  tombs  were 
used.  They  date  from  ancient  Jewish  times,  were  occupied  in 
the  Middle  Ages  as  places  of  residence  for  religious  recluses, 
then  later  for  sepulture  and  now  again  have  been — some  of  the 
better  preserved — converted  into  human  habitations  and  places 
of  stabling.  As  usual  the  Greek  church  has  secured  possession 
of  the  best  of  them,  and  has  made  half-holy  shrines  of  them. 
In  one  large  excavation  having  several  connected  tomb 
chambers  may  be  seen  the  skulls  of  hundreds  of  monks  and 
>  "  City  of  the  Great  King,"  p.  75. 


The  Hills  Round  About  125 

pilgrims,  thus  supporting  the  belief  that  at  a  time  not  very 
remote  it  was  a  general  burial  place.  The  chambers  here  are 
in  two  stories;  in  the  lower  are  these  remnants  of  the  for- 
gotten dead ;  in  the  upper  the  guardian  of  the  place  dwells 
with  his  family.  It  is  claimed  for  this  place  that  it  was  the 
retreat  where  the  apostles  hid  themselves  during  the  time  be- 
tween the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  of  their  Lord.  The 
words  "The  Holy  Zion"  in  Greek  characters  may  still  be 
read  over  the  entrance  to  this  retreat.  On  the  basis  of  these 
three  words  the  great  traveller,  Clark,  advocated  the  theory 
that  this  "  Hill  of  Evil  Council  "  was  the  real  Zion.  It  was  a 
foolish  hypothesis,  and  is  mentioned  here  only  to  show  how 
small  a  foundation  is  large  enough  to  support  a  theory  as  to 
the  topography  of  Jerusalem. 

It  is  argued  by  Dr.  Schultz1  that  a  large  vaulted  rock 
chamber,  the  ruins  of  which  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Aceldama, 
was  the  sepulchre  of  Annas,  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  the  high 
priest  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion.  Williams,  in  his  "  Holy 
City," 2  supports  this  identification.  If  they  are  correct  how- 
ever, the  tradition  that  locates  here  "The  Field  of  Blood" 
must  fall,  for  certainly  no  family  of  such  distinction  as  that  of 
Caiaphas  would  sell  any  part  of  their  property  as  "a  place  to 
bury  strangers  in."  It  is  not  improbable  that  both  tradition 
and  theory  are  in  error, 

The  modern  city  is  growing  in  this  direction  as  well  as  to 
the  north,  and,  while  for  good  reasons  the  intervening  valley  is 
still  devoid  of  residences  originally  intended  for  the  living,  the 
sides  and  summit  of  the  hill  are  having  some  very  respectable 
houses  built  upon  them.  Let  Jerusalem  once  throw  off  its 
present  incubus  of  Turkish  misrule  and  secure  a  safe  and 
beneficent  government,  and  this  hill,  and  the  others  as  well, 
will  be  built  over  as  they  were  in  the  city's  palmy  days.  And 
there  are  signs  that  these  conditions  are  soon  to  be  brought 

1  Shultz's  "Jerusalem,"  p.  39. 

2  "  Holy  City,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  62  of  Supplement. 


126  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

about — signs  so  minutely  answering  to  the  prophecies  that  it  is 
only  by  repudiating  the  prophetic  utterances  that  we  can  fail 
to  read  them.  Surely  the  days  that  are  to  see  Turkey  in 
position  to  be  classed  among  the  powers  of  the  earth  are  num- 
bered ;  Reason  and  Revelation  agree  in  this. 

On  the  hill  just  west  of  the  Jaffa  Gate,  the  Nikophoria,  an 
elevation  but  little  higher  than  the  plain  to  the  south  and  east 
of  it,  the  Greeks  unearthed  a  very  interesting  tomb  several 
years  ago.  The  tomb  is  large,  the  work  upon  it  well  done, 
and  one  of  the  two  marble  sarcophagi  found  in  it  is  as  beauti- 
fully and  delicately  ornamented  as  anything  of  the  kind  that  has 
been  found  near  the  city.  The  rolling  stone  that  closed  the 
entrance  is  the  best  preserved  of  its  kind  though  it  cannot  be 
so  readily  examined  as  the  one  at  the  door  of  the  "  Tombs  of 
the  Kings."  On  the  discovery  of  this  tomb  archaeologists  im- 
mediately sought  an  explanation  for  it.  From  accounts  found 
in  Josephus  which  point  to  this  locality,  it  has  been  generally 
concluded  that  this  is  one  of  the  monuments  of  Herod  the 
Great  and  that  the  carved  sarcophagus  was  the  resting  place  of 
the  beautiful  Miriamne,  the  Asmonean  princess  whom  Herod 
had  married,  and  who,  though  reputed  to  be  the  only  person 
this  tyrant  ever  loved,  was  slain  by  him  in  a  fit  of  mad  jeal- 
ousy. 

The  hills  north  of  the  city,  with  the  exception  of  Mount  Sco- 
pas,  have  been  treated  in  the  chapters  on  the  "  New  City  "  and 
the  ' '  New  Calvary. ' '  The  former  is  really  an  extension  of  Olivet, 
being  separated  from  it  by  a  very  slight  depression.  Titus 
here  encamped  with  his  legions — the  Twelfth  and  Fifteenth — 
just  before  his  destruction  of  the  city.  Josephus  says  of  this : 
it  is  "very  properly  called  Scopas,  the  prospect,"  "from 
whence  the  city  began  to  be  seen  and  a  plain  view  might  be 
taken  of  the  great  temple."  1  The  view  of  the  city  from  this 
point  is  grand.  Where  the  Nabulus  road  crosses  the  ridge  the 
natives  have  placed  numerous  little  piles  of  stones,  a  custom 
i  Josephus'  "  Wars  of  the  Jews,"  v.  2,  §  3. 


The  Hills  Round  About  127 

they  have  when  coming  to  a  place  whence  they  get  the  first 
view  of  some  holy  site.  It  is  a  remnant  of  the  practice  fol- 
lowed in  Old  Testament  times  of  setting  up  a  stone  of  me- 
morial. 

From  this  account  of  the  high  places  around  Jerusalem  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  Psalmist's  figure  will  be  noted.  These  neighboring 
hills  and  those  further  removed,  extending  for  miles  in  every 
direction,  were  the  city's  security,  and  from  the  contemplation  of 
them  and  their  protection  the  inspired  poet  drew  the  beautiful 
and  expressive  simile,  that,  "  As  the  mountains  are  round 
about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is  round  about  his  people  from 
henceforth  even  forever."  * 

1  Psalm  cxxv.  2. 


THE  VALLEYS 


Mosaic  Description  of  Palestine — Application  to  the  Site  of 
Jerusalem — Effect  of  the  Valleys — Similarity  of  Valleys  of 
Palestine — Valley  of  Hinnom — Its  Name — Character — De- 
scription— Rock-cut  Tombs — Zion  Slopes — Tophet — Gehenna 
— Jeremiah's  Predictions — Junction  of  Kedron  and  Hinnom — 
Job's  Well — Kedron  Valley — Character — Description — Large 
Tombs — Simon  the  Just — Most  Interesting  Part  of  the  Valley 
— Church  of  Mary — Grotto  of  the  Agony — Gethsemane — Senti- 
ment— Pillar  of  Absalom — Of  Zechariah — Excavations  in 
Kedron — Virgin's  Fountain — Siloam  Aqueduct — Ancient  Walls 
at  Siloam — The  Tyropean  Valley — View  from  Damascus  Gate 
— Pools  of  Siloam. 


130 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  VALLEYS — HINNOM,  KEDRON  AND  TYROPEAN 

IN  an  address  issued  by  Moses  to  the  children  of  Israel,  an 
account  of  which  is  given  in  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy, 
there  is  one  sentence  as  accurately  descriptive  of  the  country 
which  these  wanderers  were  to  possess  as  any  one  sentence  can 
be  made.  "  The  land  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess  it,  is  not 
as  the  land  of  Egypt  from  whence  ye  came  out,  where  thou 
sowedst  thy  seed,  and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot,  as  a  garden  of 
herbs  :  But  the  land  whither  ye  go  to  possess  it,  is  a  land  of 
hills  and  valleys,  and  drinketh  water  of  the  rain  of  heaven" 
(Deut.  xi.  10,  n).  The  italicized  words  briefly  but  ac- 
curately describe  the  land  at  large.  "  Hills  and  valleys  "  from 
one  end  to  the  other,  not  gradually  verging  the  one  into  the 
other,  but  hills  whose  sides  are  rugged  and  precipitous,  and 
valleys,  which,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  are  but  gorges  torn 
out  by  winter  torrents,  having  little  arable  soil  in  their  narrow 
beds,  but  that  little  wonderfully  fertile. 

To  the  site  and  surroundings  of  Jerusalem  the  great  Law- 
giver's description  applies ;  the  city  is  built  on  hills  and  in 
valleys.  In  the  day  of  its  founding  it  was  undoubtedly  con- 
sidered to  be  admirably  located,  and  in  later  years,  when  its 
prosperity  had  made  it  the  envy  of  ambitious  kings,  the  wis- 
dom of  its  founders  was  demonstrated.  The  deep  valleys  sur- 
rounding it  on  three  sides  enabled  it  to  grow  into  a  great  city. 
The  valleys  of  Hinnom  and  the  Kedron  made  Jerusalem.  Had 
they  not  been  deep  and  their  sides  precipitous,  had  their 
courses  been  in  any  other  direction,  the  city  of  Jebus  and  its 
illustrious  successor  would  never  have  been  here ;  Zion  and 
Moriah,  without  Hinnom  and  Kedron  and  the  valley  between 

*3i 


132  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  two  hills,  would  be  no  more  conspicuous  than  a  hundred 
other  hills  that  push  their  heads  up  along  that  elevated  ridge 
which  extends  from  the  Desert  of  the  Wandering  to  fertile 
Esdraelon.  They  would  have  given  no  names  to  become  so 
sacred  to  the  Jewish,  Christian  and  Mohammedan  world  as  to 
be  employed  in  description  of  the  eternal  city  of  God.  A 
thousand  valleys  starting  near  the  summit  of  this  ridge  cut 
their  way  through  the  hills  till  they  are  lost  in  the  great  valley 
of  the  Jordan  or  merge  into  the  plain  that  borders  the  Great 
Sea ;  these  two  only — Hinnom  and  the  Kedron — are  known 
to  all  the  world  through  the  world's  Book,  which  tells  about  it 
and  the  people  who  have  dwelt  there. 

The  valley  of  Hinnom  takes  its  name  from  its  first  known 
possessor,  or  as  Stanley1  says,  because  in  it  "some  ancient 
hero  had  encamped — '  the  son  of  Hinnom.'  "  By  a  combina- 
tion of  this  proper  name  with  the  word  "Ge,"  meaning  "ra- 
vine," the  word  Gehenna  was  formed,  and  thus  this  "pleas- 
ant valley"  supplies  the  name  for  the  place  of  future  punish- 
ment. The  valley  begins  with  a  slight  depression  about  half  a 
mile  north  of  the  northwest  corner  of  the  present  wall.  It 
tends  first  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  then  due  south,  where 
it  widens  considerably  into  a  comparatively  level  space  in 
which  is  situated  the  largest  Moslem  cemetery  near  the  city. 
In  the  centre  of  this  burial-place,  which  is  a  scene  of  desola- 
tion and  neglect,  is  the2  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon,  now  called 
Birket-Mamilla.  A  little  south  of  this  pool  the  descent  be- 
comes more  rapid,  the  limestone  cliffs  begin  to  appear  on 
either  side  where  they  are  not  covered  by  the  debris  of  which 
for  ages  this  valley  has  been  the  receptacle.  The  new  city  is 
building  out  this  way  and  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley  resi- 
dences and  shops  are  being  erected.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  lower 
down  the  Low  Level  aqueduct  crosses  the  valley  on  nine  arches. 
This  aqueduct  formerly  brought  the  water  from  Solomon's 
Pools  to  the  temple.  The  arches  are  now  crumbling  to  decay 
1  "  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  172.         2  2  Chron.  xxxii.  30  ;  Is.  vii.  3. 


The  Valleys  133 

and,  as  they  are  no  longer  useful,  no  effort  is  made  to  preserve 
them.  Just  below  this  is  a  large  pool,  formed  by  throwing  an 
embankment  across  the  valley,  formerly  known  as  the  Lower 
Pool  of  Gihon,1  but  now  called  Birket-es-Sultan.  Over  this 
embankment  passes  the  carriage  road  leading  to  Bethlehem  and 
Hebron.  Beyond  this  there  is  a  sudden  narrowing  and  deep- 
ening, and  as  one  looks  to  the  left  he  can  see  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  present  city  wall,  seemingly  right  above  him. 
When  the  walls  of  the  Solomonic  city  stood  on  the  scarp  of 
Zion  (now  occupied  by  Bishop  Gobat's  school)  and  swept 
round  the  southern  brow  of  the  Mount,  the  view  must  have 
been  a  very  gratifying  one  to  the  lover  of  the  city  and  a  dis- 
heartening one  to  the  enemy  who  had  come  against  it. 

On  the  right  of  the  valley  here  the  cliffs  are  high  and  pre- 
sent a  smooth,  perpendicular  face.  Rock-cut  tombs  are  fre- 
quent, some  of  which  are  now  used  for  residences  by  Fellahin. 
Above  this  the  rock  rises  in  terraces  and  forms  the  Hill  of  Evil 
Council.  The  slopes  of  Zion  on  the  left  are  not  so  rugged  or 
rocky,  but  are  steep,  and,  being  made  up  of  earth  and  stones 
broken  in  small  pieces,  are  very  difficult  of  ascent.  Along  the 
narrow  bed  of  this  part  of  the  valley  are  some  of  the  finest 
olive  trees  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city.  Then  the  valley 
makes  an  abrupt  turn  toward  the  east  and  widens  out,  forming 
an  oblong  space  formerly  called  Tophet.  This  identification 
is  in  a  measure  conjectural,  but  it  was  certainly  in  this  imme- 
diate vicinity  that  Solomon  had  one  of  his  "Gardens  of  De- 
light." In  order  to  reach  Tophet  from  the  city  Jeremiah  went 
out  by  the  "Sun,"  or  "  East  Gate."  Whatever  be  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  "Tophet,"  whether  "garden,"  "place  of 
burning,"  or  "  abomination,"  the  locality  so  named  was  orig- 
inally in  good  repute.  Afterward  the  idols  of  false  gods  were 
here  set  up  and  the  horrid  orgies  attendant  upon  their  worship 
permitted.  Sacrifices  were  offered  to  Baal  and  human  victims 
were  made  to  pass  through  the  fires  of  Moloch — the  tutelary 
1  Is.  xxii.  9. 


134  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

deity  of  the  Ammonites.  Ahaz  and  Manasseh,  kings  of  Judah, 
were  guilty  not  only  of  admitting,  but  actually  practicing  these 
abominations.  The  pious  Josiah  put  a  stop  to  such  iniquities 
and  to  prevent  their  recurrence  defiled  the  place  by  spreading 
human  bones  over  it  and  making  it  the  common  dumping- 
ground  for  the  refuse  of  the  city.  In  Christ's  time  it  was 
known  as  Gehenna,  and,  because  of  its  continual  fires  for  the 
burning  of  garbage,  or  from  the  fact  that  dead  bodies  were 
consumed  here,  it  was  commonly  used  as  prefigurative  of  Hell. 
The  Jewish  rabbis  say  that  "In  Tophet  is  fixed  the  door  of 
Hell."  In  spite  of  its  past  evil  associations  it  is  now  a  pleas- 
ant part  of  the  valley,  and  on  a  hot  day  the  shade  of  its  olive- 
trees  and  the  cool  of  its  cliffs  are  very  welcome. 

Jeremiah  twice  predicted  *  that  there  should  come  a  time 
when  this  valley  "shall  no  more  be  called  Tophet,  nor  the 
valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom,  but  the  valley  of  slaughter." 
That  the  name  given  to  it  by  modern  Arabs  is  derived  from  a 
word  meaning  "slaughter"  is  somewhat  conjectural ;  that  it 
will  sooner  or  later  receive  this  name  is  a  legitimate  inference 
from  the  plain  statements  of  prophecy.  That  it  has  earned 
this  gruesome  appellation  already  no  one  acquainted  with  the 
scenes  that  have  here  been  enacted  can  question.  Time  after 
time  it  has  been  deluged  with  the  blood  of  the  slain ;  dead 
bodies  have  been  thrown  into  it  in  such  numbers  that  there 
was  not  earth  enough  to  cover  them,  and  underneath  the  pres- 
ent surface  lies  commingled  the  dust  of  Canaanite,  Jew  and 
Persian,  Syrian,  Greek,  Roman,  Frank  and  Arab. 

This  deep  gorge  of  Hinnom  was  the  great  protector  of  the 
city  on  its  western  and  southern  sides.  No  foe  could  ever 
successfully  scale  those  slopes  of  Zion,  which  in  early  days 
were  even  more  abrupt  than  now.  Where  at  present  there  is  a 
loose  composition  of  earth  and  small  fragments  of  stone  there 
was  in  early  times  the  bare  rock,  scarped  to  make  it  even  more 
difficult  of  ascent ;  and  upon  the  platform  made  by  the  scraping 
1  Jer.  vii.  32,  and  xix.  6. 


The  Valleys  135 

stood  the  city  walls,  beyond  the  reach  of  any  enginery  of  war 
then  known. 

Fear  after  year  for  centuries  the  refuse  of  the  city  has  been 
thrown  over  this  side  of  Zion  until  now  the  rock  is  hidden 
from  view  under  a  depth  of  composite  soil  and  stones  of  from 
one  to  thirty  feet.  On  this  "  made  "  earth  the  Fellah  lays  out 
hit;  garden  and  grows  vegetables  of  surprising  size  and  excel- 
lent quality. 

Passing  on  down  the  valley  for  a  short  distance,  seeing 
numerous  tombs  upon  our  right,  we  come  to  a  level  place  of 
about  thirty  acres  or  so  at  the  junction  of  the  Hinnom  and 
Ktdron  valleys.  At  this  point  we  are  nearly  350  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  Mosque  area  on  Mount  Moriah.  Near  the 
sovth  end  of  this  level  tract  is  the  so-called  Bir  Eyyub  (Job's 
Well),  a  well  of  mystery  in  many  respects.  The  source  of  its 
water  supply  and  the  identification  of  the  well  with  some  an- 
cient landmarks  have  given  rise  to  many  theories,  with  which 
we  have  not  to  do.  No  one  can  show  whether  this  "  well  of 
bltssing"  is  ancient  or  modern;  it  has  existed  since  the  Mo- 
hammedan occupation  and  by  the  followers  of  the  Prophet  it 
was  first  called  Job's  Well.  The  Crusaders  named  it  after 
Nehemiah  because  the  holy  fire,  which  was  hidden  here  during 
the  captivity,  was  recovered  by  him. 

During  the  summer  especially  the  well  is  the  centre  of 
great  activity.  Women  come  with  their  water-skins  slung  on 
th<  ir  backs,  or  drive  a  couple  of  diminutive  donkeys  who  are 
able  each  to  carry  three  skins  full  of  the  water.  Men  are  con- 
tin  ually  engaged  in  drawing  up  the  water.  Those  acquainted 
with  life  here  wonder  at  seeing  the  men  do  this  work,  for 
whenever  there  is  real  labor  to  be  performed  the  women  are 
usually  the  ones  who  do  it.  As  the  water  is  over  a  hundred 
feet  below  the  well  curb  the  "  draw  "  is  somewhat  of  an  effort. 
In  the  large  stone  troughs  about  the  well  water  is  always  in 
readiness  for  horses,  donkeys,  cattle  and  sheep,  and  when  a 
number  of  half-famished  creatures  happen  to  come  at  once  the 


136  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

scene  is  exceedingly  lively.     They  fairly  scramble  over  each 
other  to  get  at  the  cooling  fountain. 

The  valley  formed  by  the  union  of  Hinnom  and  the  Kedron 
is  called  by  the  natives  Wady  en  Nar — Valley  of  Fire — a  not 
inappropriate  name  as  one  learns  by  following  it  down  through 
the  wilderness  past  curious  and  desolate  Mar  Saba,  till  it  loses 
itself  in  the  desert  of  the  Dead  Sea. 

The  distinguishing  topographical  feature  on  the  east  of  the 
city  is  the  valley  of  the  Kedron.  It  has  been  Jerusalem's 
natural  protector  on  this  quarter  as  Hinnom  has  been  on  the 
west.  The  name  Kedron  is  used  in  preference  to  Jehoshaphat 
because  more  exact,  though  the  latter  is  more  common.  Ke- 
dron is  the  Biblical  term,  the  other  not  appearing.1  Josephus 
never  calls  this  valley  Jehoshaphat ;  when  the  name  began  to 
be  applied  is  not  known.  In  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century 
Jerome  and  Eusebius  employed  it  and  from  that  time  until  the 
present  it  has  been  in  use.  Many  of  the  natives,  both  Chris- 
tian and  Moslem,  speak  of  the  vale  as  Wady  Sitti  Miriam, — 
valley  of  Our  Lady  Mary. 

The  name  "Kedron"  is,  like  the  names  of  most  places 
in  this  land,  of  doubtful  origin  and  signification.  Gesenius 
derives  it  from  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  "to  be  black,"  de- 
scriptive of  the  dark  color  of  the  water  when  the  brook  is  flow- 
ing or  to  the  depth  and  obscurity  of  the  valley  itself.  This  is 
a  very  unsatisfactory  reason  to  any  one  well  acquainted  with 
the  place,  for  the  brook  never  flows  more  than  two  days  during 
the  year,  and  there  is  nothing  about  the  valley  to  suggest  dark- 
ness. 

The  first  depression  is  about  a  mile  north  of  the  present 

1  The  prophet  Joel  surely  could  not  have  had  this  valley  in  mind  (iii. 
2).  He  must  have  idealized  as  the  scene  of  the  great  conflict  and  judg- 
ment that  valley  in  the  wilderness  of  Tekoah  in  which  Jehoshaphat 
gained  his  great  victory  over  the  allied  enemies.  That  victory  was 
"  Jehovah's  judgment."  So  when  all  nations  are  gathered  together  there 
also  shall  be  Jehoshaphat — "  Jehovah's  judgment  "  upon  them. 


The  Valleys  137 

north  wall  of  the  city  and  is  verdant  with  vineyards  and  olive 
groves.  The  valley  tends  in  a  southerly  direction  for  half  a 
mile  and  all  along  is  well  cultivated.  Soon  the  rock  cliffs  be- 
gin and  on  them  can  be  plainly  seen  the  marks  of  the  tools  of 
ancient  quarrymen.  No  doubt  many  of  these  stones  found 
their  way  into  the  city's  walls  and  residences.  Rock-cut 
tombs  are  very  abundant  near  the  head  of  the  valley  and  every 
few  steps  one  may  see  the  place  where  a  former  dweller  of  the 
city  was  laid  away  from  mortal  view  until  the  hand  of  the 
enemy  or  vandal  desecrated  his  resting  place.  The  peasant 
farmer  now  plows  among  the  tombs,  goading  his  team  of  lean 
oxen  or  donkeys  and  shouting  his  abundant  profanity. 

This  valley  really  deserves  the  name  "Valley  of  Dead 
Bodies,"  for  from  earliest  times  all  along  its  sides  and  in  its 
bed  the  dead  have  been  interred. 

After  its  southerly  course  it  makes  a  bend  and  runs  in  an 
easterly  direction  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  then  turns 
again  to  the  south  and  continues  this  general  direction  until  it 
is  lost  in  the  Dead  Sea  Valley.  Just  at  this  last  mentioned 
turn  are  some  exceptionally  large  tombs  excavated  in  the  face 
of  the  cliff.  Among  these  is  the  traditional  sepulchre  of  Simon 
the  Just.  On  the  anniversary  of  this  worthy  the  Jews  gather 
in  multitudes  at  this  tomb,  and  while  the  old  men  pray  before 
the  door  the  younger  people  seem  to  be  holding  a  sort  of  pic- 
nic under  the  olive  trees  near  at  hand.  This  is  by  far  the 
largest  gathering  of  the  "Sons  and  Daughters  of  Israel"  dur- 
ing the  year  in  Jerusalem.  To  witness  it  gives  one  an  idea  of 
the  number  of  this  part  of  the  city's  population.  There  are 
Jews  of  every  condition  from  every  civilized  country,  from  the 
stylishly  dressed  representative  from  America  or  England  to 
the  degraded,  unkempt  specimens  from  Russia  and  Central 
Europe. 

The  most  interesting  part  of  this  Kedron  valley,  judging 
it  by  natural  scenery  and  hallowed  associations,  is  that  over- 
looked by  the  east  wall  of  the  city.     The  carriage  road  to 


138  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

Bethany  and  Jericho  descends  the  western  slope  at  a  heavy 
grade  and  just  where  it  crosses  the  Kedron  a  most  comprehen- 
sive view  may  be  had.  As  one  faces  the  south  he  has  on  his 
right,  towering  high,  the  Golden  Gate,  the  interesting  old 
"southeast  corner,"  the  Moslem  tombs  nestling  close  to  the 
walls,  and  on  the  steep  hillside  the  gardens  and  olive  orchards 
of  the  Fellahin.  In  front  of  the  observer  is  the  bed  of  the 
stream,  empty  except  for  a  day  or  two  each  winter,  the  pillar 
of  Absalom  and  tombs  of  St.  James  and  Zechariah  with  the 
countless  grave-stones  of  the  humble  Jewish  dead  that  are 
buried  near.  Just  to  the  left,  and  very  near,  is  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  lying  at  the  roots  of  Olivet.  On  the  left  hand  a 
little  to  the  rear  stands  the  ancient,  gloomy  church  of  St. 
Mary,  in  which  are  the  traditional  tombs  of  the  Virgin  and 
Joseph  her  husband,  also  those  of  Joachim  and  Anna,  the 
father  and  mother  of  Mary. 

This  Church  of  the  Virgin  is  undoubtedly  an  ancient  struc- 
ture, and  rests  its  claims  to  cover  the  tomb  of  the  mother  of 
our  Lord  upon  grounds  similar  to  those  used  in  the  case  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  Empress  Helena  located 
the  tomb  and  erected  the  first  structure  over  it.  The  Church 
now  belongs  to  the  Greeks  who  tolerate  the  presence  of  other 
sects;  but  hardly  with  Christian  toleration,  if  one  may  judge 
by  appearances.  A  peculiarity  of  this  Christian  Church  is 
that  among  its  several  altars  is  a  praying  place  for  Moslems. 
The  latter  religionists  join  with  the  former  in  venerating  the 
memory  of  the  mother  of  Christ.  The  example  may  have 
been  given  the  followers  of  the  Prophet  by  Omar  when,  as  con- 
queror, he  entered  Jerusalem  in  637  a.  d.  It  is  narrated  by 
an  Arab  historian,1  that  as  this  warrior  passed  by  the  Church 
of  Mary,  then  called  the  Church  of  Gethsemane,  he  offered 
two  prayers.  When  the  Crusaders  arrived  nothing  remained 
of  it  but  ruins.     Mellicent,  the  wife  of  Fulke,  fourth  Christian 

1  Kadi  Mejir-ed-Din. 


*--#     .:■'* 


The  Valleys  139 

king  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century, 
erected,  substantially,  the  structure  that  stands  to-day. 

An  utterly  baseless  tradition  fixes  the  place  of  our  Lord's 
agony  in  a  grotto  just  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  Church  of 
Mary.  This  is  Latin  property  and  is  made  much  of  because 
they  have  no  proprietary  right  in  the  Church.  No  doubt  it 
has  been  used  as  a  sacred  place  for  some  centuries,  but  its 
form  and  the  hole  in  the  ceiling  would  lead  to  the  belief  that 
it  was  originally  a  cistern,  or  from  its  nearness  to  Gethsemane, 
perhaps  a  place  for  storing  olive  oil. 

A  few  rods  to  the  south  is  Gethsemane.  There  is  no  reason 
for  disputing  the  genuineness  of  this  site,  for  the  tradition 
dating  from  the  fourth  century  corresponds  with  the  Gospel 
statements  about  the  place.  In  Christ's  time  two  roads  left 
the  city  from  the  east  and  crossed  the  brook  near  this  point. 
It  would  be  a  secluded  spot,  for  those  in  the  city  would  not 
often  make  the  steep  descent  into  the  valley.  But  Christ, 
seeking  retirement  "went  forth  with  His  disciples  over  the 
brook  Kedron  where  was  a  garden,  into  which  He  entered, 
and  His  disciples."  The  one  beauty  about  the  little,  high- 
walled  enclosure  is  that  it  is  still  a  garden.  Venerable  looking 
olive  trees,  centuries  old,  are  carefully  preserved  by  the  gar- 
deners. They  still,  seven  in  number,  yield  their  fruit,  the  oil 
of  which  commands  a  high  price  as  well  as  the  stones  of  the 
olives  which  are  used  for  making  rosaries.  The  garden  is  a 
quadrangle  each  side  being  about  200  feet  long.  A  walk 
leads  all  round  inside  the  wall  to  which  visitors  are  admitted, 
but  a  high  iron  fence  protected  by  a  heavy  wire  netting  pre- 
vents any  pulling  of  flowers. 

Most  people,  no  matter  whence  they  come,  when  Geth- 
semane is  reached  are  overcome  by  a  desire  to  possess  some 
memento  of  the  place.  Had  not  the  Franciscan  monks  in 
charge  taken  precautions  to  protect  their  floral  treasures,  the 
garden  would  soon  be  barren  of  vegetation.  Though  it  lacks 
many  of  the  natural  charms  possessed  by  it  when  Christ  com- 


146  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

mimed  there  with  the  Twelve,  Gethsemane  is  still  a  pleasant, 
peaceful  spot,  where  one  may  rest  and  indulge,  without  the 
distractions  of  superstition,  the  thoughts  the  name  and  place 
suggest. 

About  two  hundred  yards  below  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane 
are  the  four  sepulchral  monuments  whose  origin  and  history 
are  alike  obscure.  Two  of  these,  those  of  Absalom  and  Zech- 
ariah,  are  monoliths,  separated  from  the  surrounding  rock  by 
the  tools  of  the  quarrymen.  The  other  two,  those  of  Jehosh- 
aphat  and  St.  James,  are  excavations.  The  first  mention  of 
these  monuments  is  by  the  Bourdeaux  Pilgrim  (a.  d.  333), 
who  gives  to  the  monoliths  the  names  of  Isaiah  and  Hezekiah. 
Arculfus,  writing  near  the  close  of  the  seventh  century,  men- 
tions the  two  excavations  as  the  sepulchres  of  Simon  the  Just 
and  Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary.  He  also  calls  the  tomb  of 
Absalom  that  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  this  name  it  bore  among 
Christians  for  many  ages.  At  least  since  the  time  of  Benja- 
min of  Tudela  (n  70  a.  d.)  the  Jews  have  regarded  it  as  con- 
nected with  Absalom  and  to  this  day  treat  it  with  the  disre- 
spect they  still  cherish  toward  the  memory  of  that  ungrateful 
son  of  David.  It  is  beginning  to  show  the  wear  of  the  nu- 
merous stones  thrown  against  it. 

These  monoliths  of  Absalom  and  Zechariah  exhibit  a  va- 
riety of  architecture,  Doric,  Ionian  and  Egyptian.  This  has 
added  to  the  confusion  in  attempts  to  assign  dates  to  them. 
The  Pillar  of  Absalom  is  generally  assigned  to  the  Grseco- 
Roman  Period.  The  masonry  of  the  upper  part  is  strongly 
suggestive  of  Egyptian  influences  and  because  of  this  the  na- 
tives call  it  Pharaoh's  Head -Dress.  This  masonry  of  large 
blocks  rests  upon  the  monolith  and  was  necessary  because  the 
depth  of  rock  at  this  point  did  not  admit  of  a  repetition  of 
such  work  as  that  of  Zechariah's  tomb.  The  top  of  this  latter 
tomb  is  pyramidal  in  form ;  but  otherwise  is  very  similar  in 
general  design  to  the  former.  The  tomb  of  Absalom  is  broken 
in  several  places,  and  permits  free  entrance  into  its  interior ; 


The  Valleys  141 

that  of  Zechariah  is  entire  and  has  no  entrance ;  unless  there 
be  one  hidden  by  the  accumulated  earth  of  centuries.  Unlike 
the  tomb,  or  pillar,  of  Absalom,  this  of  Zechariah  is  a  very 
sacred  place  to  the  Jew.  Their  graves  are  close  up  to  it  and 
the  tomb  itself  is  covered  with  names  written  and  carved  in 
Hebrew  characters.  Prayers  offered  here  are  considered 
"specially  efficacious." 

Just  near  these  tombs  a  second  bridge  on  stone  arches  crosses 
the  gully  of  the  Kedron.  Here  the  valley  is  narrowest  and 
shows  the  marks  where  "the  winter  brook"  flows.  But  there 
is  no  appropriateness  in  the  phrase  "the  sweet-gliding  Ke- 
dron " ;  it  must  have  been  written  by  one  who  never  saw  the 
place.  A  short  distance  south  of  the  bridge  the  hills — Olivet 
on  the  east  and  Moriah  on  the  west — rise  abruptly;  the 
"  southeast  angle  "  seems  directly  above  the  observer  standing 
in  the  ravine ;  the  top  of  the  wall  is  1 70  feet  above.  Captain 
Warren's  excavations  have  revealed  that  the  earth  lying  be- 
tween the  bed  of  the  brook  and  this  corner  of  the  city  wall  is 
largely  debris.  The  original  east  side  of  Moriah,  or  as  it  was 
when  the  first  wall  stood  unhidden  by  the  accumulations  of 
the  ages,  was  steeper  than  at  present  and  now  it  is  so  precip- 
itous that  to  ascend  in  a  straight  course  is  almost  impossible. 
Warren's  excavations  also  demonstrate  that  the  bed  of  the 
stream  has  been  moved  at  least  thirty  feet  to  the  east  by  the 
debris  and  that  it  is  now  thirty-eight  feet  above  its  former 
level.  When  these  excavations  were  begun,  it  was  supposed 
that  an  underground  stream  would  be  found,  as  several  pro- 
fessed to  be  able  to  detect  the  sound  of  running  water.  No 
such  stream  was  discovered,  but  the  soil  lying  near  the  bottom 
of  the  ancient  bed  was  soft  and  muddy  in  places,  and  it  is  not 
at  all  improbable  that  in  the  rainy  season  such  an  under- 
ground brook  does  work  its  way  through  the  loose  earth  and 
issue  at  some  point  further  down  the  valley. 

Five  hundred  yards  south  of  this  bridge  is  the  interesting 
and  mysterious  "Fountain  of  the  Virgin";   interesting  be- 


142  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

cause  of  its  historical  and  topographical  importance ;  and  also 
because  it  is  the  only  living  spring  near  the  city,  unless  we  in- 
clude the  one  under  the  school  of  the  Sisters  of  Zion ;  mys- 
terious, because  of  the  intermittent  flow  of  its  waters  and  their 
peculiar  brackish  taste.  The  spring  is  in  a  cavern  and  the 
water  is  at  least  twenty  feet  below  the  level  of  the  valley. 
Thirty  rude  steps  lead  down  to  it  and  up  and  down  these 
steps  the  maids  and  matrons  of  Silwan  (Siloam)  go  with  their 
full  and  empty  water  pots.  Because  of  these  steps  the  natives 
often  call  it  "Ain  ed-Derej,"  "Fountain  of  Steps."  In 
the  rainy  season  the  water  flows  four  or  five  times  a  day,  in 
the  dry  season  but  once  or  at  most  twice  each  day.  This  ir- 
regularity of  flow  can  be  accounted  for  naturally.  "In  the 
interior  of  the  rock  there  is  a  deep  natural  reservoir,  which  is 
fed  by  numerous  streamlets  and  has  a  single  narrow  outlet 
only.  This  outlet  begins  a  little  above  the  bottom  of  the 
basin,  rises  to  a  point  higher  than  the  top  of  the  basin  and 
then  descends.  As  soon  as  the  water  of  the  basin  has  risen  to 
the  height  of  the  bend  in  the  outlet,  it  begins  to  flow  through 
it  and  continues  to  flow  on  the  syphon  principle  until  it  has 
sunk  in  the  basin  to  the  point  where  the  outlet  begins." x 

An  aqueduct,  usually  regarded  as  the  work  of  Hezekiah, 
leads  from  this  fountain  through  the  rocky  foundations  of 
Ophel  to  the  Upper  Pool  of  Siloam.  The  engineering  was 
not  of  the  best,  for  the  course  of  the  aqueduct  varies  consid- 
erably and  while  the  distance  in  a  straight  line  from  the  Foun- 
tain to  Siloam  is  only  a  thousand  feet,  the  length  of  the  chan- 
nel is  seventeen  hundred.  From  a  celebrated  inscription 
found  here  in  1880,  the  oldest  Hebrew  inscription  so  far  dis- 
covered, we  learn  that  work  was  begun  at  each  end ;  and  the 
point  where  the  workmen  met  has  also  been  located.  One 
wonders  how  such  a  work  was  planned  and  executed  in  those 
early  times. 

The  valley  widens  a  short  distance  below  the  Virgin's 
1  Baedaker  "  Palestine  and  Syria,"  p.  99. 


The  Valleys  143 

Fountain  and  is  soon  joined  by  the  Tyropean.  These  two 
valleys  do  not  meet  each  other  on  a  level,  the  Tyropean  being 
at  least  thirty  feet  above  the  Kedron.  Terraces  lead  from  the 
one  to  the  other.  Just  here  is  the  richest  garden  land  to  be 
found  near  the  city.  It  is  watered  by  the  Lower  Siloam  Pool 
and  cultivated  by  the  Fellahin  of  Silwan  village.  Modern  ex- 
cavations are  demonstrating  that  the  peasant  gardeners  have 
been  growing  their  vegetables  upon  earth  that  covers  the 
walls  of  the  ancient  city.  Well  preserved  masonry  of  un- 
doubted antiquity,  and  henceforth  to  be  reckoned  in  all  ac- 
counts, was  uncovered  in  August,  1895,  just  where  the  two 
valleys  meet  and  at  a  depth  of  thirty  feet  below  the  present 
surface.  This  discovery  proves  two  things;  first,  how  deep 
the  soil  is  in  these  valleys  of  Palestine,  and,  secondly,  how 
many  theories  on  Jerusalem  topography  a  little  excavating  may 
explode. 

A  hundred  yards  further  south  brings  us  to  the  junction  of 
the  Kedron  and  Hinnom  valleys.  In  following  these  two 
from  their  starting  points  on  the  north  we  have  surrounded 
the  city  almost  entirely  and  described  the  most  interesting 
points  in  each  of  them.  There  is  one  great  event  to  take 
place  in  the  future  in  the  valley  of  the  Kedron,  but  as  it  be- 
longs to  prophecy  it  is  hardly  in  place  in  a  descriptive  work. 
Jews,  Mohammedans  and  some  Christians  believe  that  in  this 
valley  the  final  judgment  will  be  held,  hence  its  name  Je- 
hoshaphat — Jehovah's  Judgment.  Whether  the  belief  be  well 
founded  or  not  is  a  minor  question  to  those  who  are  prepared 
for  that  great  day. 

In  an  account  of  the  valleys  of  Jerusalem  that  which  divides 
the  city  must  not  be  passed  without  remark.  Josephus  calls 
this  the  Tyropean,  or  valley  of  the  cheese-mongers.  It  was  a 
striking  feature  of  the  ancient  city  and  is  so  now  when  viewed 
from  certain  directions.  The  first  depression  begins  a  short 
distance  north  of  the  Damascus  Gate.  At  the  north  wall  the 
valley  features  are  hidden  by  immense  accumulations  of  debris, 


144  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

but  within  the  city  the  descent  is  rapid  for  a  short  distance. 
The  observer  who  stands  on  the  wall  at  the  Damascus  Gate  and 
looks  toward  the  south  gains  the  very  best  view  of  the  topog- 
raphy of  the  city.  Right  in  front  of  him  stretches  the  val- 
ley, the  four  hills — Gareb  and  Zion  on  the  west,  Bezetha  and 
Moriah  on  the  east — are  plainly  seen.  But  the  modern  view 
is  quite  inferior  to  that  of  the  ancient  city's  glory,  when  the 
palaces  of  the  wealthy  crowned  the  two  northern  hills  as  well 
as  the  southwestern  eminence,  and  the  temple,  glistening  in 
the  brilliant  light,  graced  the  summit  of  the  southwestern  hill. 
Bridges  on  immense  arches  spanned  the  Tyropean  and  a  street 
adorned  with  columns  proceeded  from  the  main  gate  in  the 
northern  wall  to  a  similar  gate  in  the  southern.  Ruined  foun- 
dations many  feet  under  the  surface  are  all  that  remain  of  the 
bridges,  while  not  a  vestige  of  the  ornamental  columns  can  be 
found. 

Formerly  a  valley  proceeding  from  near  the  present  Jaffa 
Gate  in  an  easterly  direction  joined  the  Tyropean  at  a  point 
near  where  the  modern  Via  Dolorosa  crosses  it.  Some  author- 
ities have  regarded  this  valley  as  a  branch  of  the  real  Tyro- 
pean. 

The  street,  now  in  the  bed  of  the  valley,  is  narrow,  tortuous 
and  generally  dirty.  The  buildings  cross  it  on  arches ;  shops 
and  residences,  occupied  generally  by  the  air-despising  classes 
of  Jews  and  Mohammedans,  line  it. 

A  very  large  part  of  the  valley  included  within  the  walls  of 
the  city  is  unoccupied  by  any  buildings.  Gardens  and  or- 
chards of  the  prickly  pear  have  taken  possession  of  ground  on 
which  once  stood  the  stately  structures  of  Solomon  and  Herod. 
All  along  the  bed  of  the  valley  is  raised  by  the  refuse  and 
ruins  thrown  into  it  from  city  and  temple,  and  the  engineers 
of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Society  had  to  sink  their  shafts 
from  thirty  to  eighty  feet  through  the  debris  before  reaching 
the  rock. 

Passing  through  the  south  wall  by  the  little  "  Dung  Gate" 


The  Valleys  145 

the  course  of  the  valley  can  be  plainly  seen,  and,  though  the 
descent  is  steep,  easily  followed  to  the  Pools  of  Siloam.  It  is 
not  an  attractive  walk  at  any  time;  the  city's  sewage  finds 
egress  in  this  direction  and  charges  the  air  with  noisome 
odors.  As  the  Pools  of  Siloam,  lying  in  the  mouth  of  the 
valley  are  the  receptacles  of  this  their  usual  condition  can  well 
be  imagined.  Nothing  in  its  present  degradation  is  so  destruc- 
tive to  our  ideas  of  Jerusalem's  beauty  and  grandeur  as  a  visit 
to  Siloam,  particularly  in  the  rainy  season  when  most  stran- 
gers arrive.  All  our  preconceived  opinions  of  Siloam  are  of  a 
pool  of  pure  water  surrounded  by  pleasant  scenes ;  and  that  it 
was  such  in  the  Saviour's  day  there  can  be  no  doubt.  Desola- 
tion and  decay  mark  this  part  of  the  valley  now,  though  the 
gardens  are  much  benefited  by  the  waters  that  gather  in  the 
Lower  Pool. 

The  Upper  Pool  is  now  nearly  filled  with  stones  and  earth, 
so  that  the  measurements  of  Barclay  and  Robinson  will  not 
apply.  The  shape  of  it  is  oblong,  the  length  being  fifty,  the 
breadth  ten  and  depth  about  twelve  feet.  The  rock-cut  con- 
duit from  the  Virgin's  Fountain  enters  the  pool  at  the  north- 
west corner,  but  it  brings  no  water  now.  The  present  stone- 
work, is  the  work  of  the  Crusaders,  or  perhaps  of  Saladin,  who 
was  very  careful  of  the  water  supply  of  the  city.  Originally 
the  water  from  the  Virgin's  Fountain  filled  this  Upper  Pool 
and  passing  out  was  conducted  to  the  Lower  Pool,  which  is 
only  a  few  yards  distant.  Here  it  was  preserved  for  use  in  the 
King's  Gardens.  Then  as  now  the  water  could  be  drawn  off 
when  needed  and  because  of  its  gentle  flow  may  have  given 
the  phrase  to  Isaiah,  "  the  waters  of  Shiloah  that  go  softly." 

Of  the  Lower  Pool  in  its  present  condition  but  little  can  be 
said.  It  is  formed  by  a  dam  thrown  across  the  valley,  and 
even  when  full  of  water,  as  it  often  is  in  winter,  is  insignificant 
in  size  and  most  unattractive.  When  the  water  gets  low  in 
early  summer  the  place  is  a  perfect  fever  hole.  Of  these  pools 
it   can  be  said  that  they  are  not  in   dispute ;  all  authorities 


146  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

agree  that  they  are  the  Siloam  of  Old  and  New  Testament 
history,  and  when  authorities  agree,  it  is  well  to  rest  and  be 
content.  Would  that  the  poet's  lines  were  true  and  that  we 
could  rest 

"  By  cool  Siloam's  shady  rill "  and  see 
"  How  fair  the  lily  grows."  » 

» Heber. 


THE  TEMPLE  HILL 


Importance  of — Genuineness — Theories  of  Topography — 
Temple  Sites — Christian  Association — Moslem  Associations — 
Surrounded  by  Valleys — Ophel — Approach  to  Temple  Hill — 
Visitor's  Escort — Barclay — "Holy  Ground" — Mosque  En- 
closure —  Walls  —  ' '  Mastaba ' '  —  Military  Barracks  —  Acra — 
Simon  Maccabee — Baris — Traditional  Bethesda — Throne  of 
Solomon — Golden  Gate — Shushan  Gate — Moslem  Tradition — 
Flowers — View  from  East  Wall — Bridge  of  Kedron — South- 
east Corner — Immense  Masonry — Solomon's  Stables — Mosque 
el  Aksa — Moslem  Worship — "  Narrow  Way  " — Knights  Temp- 
lar's Abode — Subterranean  Passage  to  Double  Gate — Well  of 
the  Leaf — Cisterns — The  Holy  Rock — Mosque  of  Omar — 
Kubbet  es  Sakrah — Architectural  Beauty — Crusader  Work — 
Sulieman — Interior  Arrangement — Windows — Furnishings — 
The  Dome — The  Sacred  Rock — Traditions — Size — A  Moslem 
Legend — Cave  beneath  the  Rock — "Well  of  Souls" — Judg- 
ment Seat  of  David. 


148 


IX 

THE  TEMPLE  HILL 

IN  our  accounts  of  Jerusalem  in  the  time  of  David  and  Sol- 
omon and  in  the  time  of  Christ  the  eastern  hill  has  en- 
joyed a  large  share  of  attention.  And  if  there  be  any  part  of 
the  Holy  City  that  can  justly  claim  a  place  in  history  it  is  this 
— the  Religious  Mountain — venerated  alike  by  the  entire  Jew- 
ish, Christian  and  Mohammedan  worlds.  Besides  this,  there 
is  a  satisfaction  in  speaking  about  it  and  the  events  that  have 
taken  place  there  and  the  world  famous  structures  that  have 
graced  it,  because  it  is  an  assured  site.  Among  all  the  wild 
theories  that  have  been  advanced  I  know  of  none  that  doubts 
the  genuineness  of  Mount  Moriah.  Accounts  differ  when  it 
comes  to  assigning  the  locality  to  the  event  or  to  the  building, 
but  not  as  to  the  identity  of  the  Mount  itself. 

One  has  to  linger  in  the  Holy  City  but  a  short  time  before 
becoming  possessed  by  the  "Devil  of  Doubt"  about  many 
things  he  sees  and  hears.  There  is  just  one  thing  certain 
about  the  many  more  or  less  "  holy  places  "  and  that  is  their 
uncertainty.  One  authority  asserts  positively  that  Zion  was 
on  the  southwestern  hill,  another  just  as  positively  informs  us 
that  to  locate  Zion  anywhere  but  on  the  southeastern  hill  is 
an  evidence  of  your  ignorance.  The  present  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  is  proved  by  one  "beyond  a  doubt "  to  be  on 
the  place  where  our  Lord  was  crucified  and  buried  ;  by  others 
it  is  demonstrated  "  beyond  a  doubt "  that  the  crucifixion  and 
sepulture  could  by  no  means  have  taken  place  here.  Back 
numbers  of  the  Report  of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund — 
that  record  of  the  actual  discoveries  and  fanciful  opinions  of 
many  learned  men — could  not  have  been  made  more  bewil- 
dering if  mystification  had  been  the  only  object  of  their  ed- 

149 


150  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

itors.  Practically  every  foot  of  underground  and  above- 
ground  Jerusalem  has  been  fought  over. 

There  is  no  cessation  of  hostilities.  Occasionally  a  truce  is 
declared,  but  it  is  only  for  a  breathing  spell.  The  combatants 
get  a  little  new  information,  or  in  their  fertile  brains  imagine 
some,  and  the  pens  fly  again.  Some  other  champion  of  some 
other  theory  of  location  reads  this  real  or  supposed  addition  to 
our  knowledge  of  Jerusalem  and  has  an  immediate  call  to  pro- 
tect the  world  against  such  vagaries.  The  results  of  the  pres- 
ent exploration  south  of  the  city  are  sure  to  evoke  a  horde  of 
opinions,  each  one  backed  by  a  self-appointed  champion.  Nor 
do  we  have  to  wait  till  results  are  announced.  The  gentleman 
in  charge  has  but  to  express  an  opinion  concerning  some  dis- 
covery he  has  made.  Then  he  and  those  who  are  interested 
"discover  "  that  he  knows  nothing  about  it. 

In  the  midst  of  these  diverse  opinions  it  is  refreshing  to 
climb  Mount  Moriah  and  gaze  upon  the  absolutely  assured. 
Here  some  things  can  be  seen  that  are  not  questioned,  and  for 
a  time  the  Devil  of  Doubt  is  cast  out.  In  this  enclosure,  be- 
longing to  the  Dome  of  the  Rock,  stood  the  small,  but  ex- 
quisitely beautiful,  Temple  of  Solomon ;  and  later,  the  larger, 
and  perhaps  more  imposing,  Temple  of  Herod.  Let  us  not 
ask  just  where  they  stood  or  we  shall  hear  jangling  voices. 
Enough,  here  !  This  fact  concerning  this  enclosure  on  the 
levelled  top  of  Moriah  attaches  to  it  an  importance  which  gives 
it  an  unique  position  in  the  religious  history  of  the  world. 
Add  to  this  that  here  were  witnessed  some  of  the  great  works, 
and  were  heard  some  of  the  great  words  of  the  Founder  of  the 
Christian  faith ;  add  to  this  that  in  the  estimation  of  the  Mos- 
lem the  Rock  is  second  only  to  the  sacred  Kaaba  at  Mecca 
and  we  have  a  place  that  is  without  a  competitor  for  the  favor 
and  veneration  of  the  religious  world.  And  this  apart  from 
any  fables  or  traditions  or  fancies,  many  of  which  have  come 
down  to  our  time  and  are  piously  believed. 

Like  its  loftier  neighbor  to  the  west  Mount  Moriah  is  sur- 


The  Temple  Hill  151 

rounded  on  three  sides  by  valleys  ;  the  Tyropean  on  the  west 
and  the.  Kedron  on  the  east  join  each  other  on  the  south  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  south  wall  of  the  city.  The  part  now 
outside  of  the  wall  was  once  a  very  important  section  of  the 
city  itself.  Here  was  the  original  Salem  of  Melchizedek  and 
later  the  lower  city  of  the  Jebusite.  It  seems  to  be  pretty 
generally  believed,  and  recent  excavations  are  favoring  the 
belief,  that  the  walls  of  the  Solomonic  city  extended  clear 
down  to  a  point  very  near  the  junction  of  the  valley  of  the 
Tyropean  with  that  of  the  Kedron.  The  part  of  the  Mount 
now  on  the  outside  of  the  south  wall  was  formerly  called  Ophel 
and  is  often  so  named  now.  The  word  means  "  a  mound  "  or 
"tower."  It  is  first  used  in  connection  with  the  improve- 
ments in  fortification  made  in  the  reign  of  Jotham1  about  775 

B.  C. 

Ophel  may  once  have  been  crowned  with  towers  that  were 
the  pride  and  security  of  those  who  dwelt  under  their  pro- 
tection, but  no  sign  of  them  now  remains  above  ground.  It  is 
all  given  over  to  the  peasant  gardener,  and  the  only  buildings 
or.  it  are  the  wretched  little  stone  and  mud  huts  of  the  Fella- 
hin,  who  must  live  right  in  the  gardens  if  they  want  to  benefit 
by  anything  that  grows  in  them.  They  must  keep  a  strict  and 
continual  watch,  or  some  near,  or  remote,  neighbor  will  take 
ac.  /antage  of  their  absence  and  the  darkness,  and  in  one  night 
appropriate  the  product  of  an  entire  season.  Thieving  is  a 
fiie  art  among  the  Fellahin  of  Palestine.  They  prefer  to  rob 
a  Frank,  as  all  foreigners  are  called,  but  in  the  absence  of 
Funks  will  not  hesitate  to  prey  upon  each  other. 

However  interesting  the  southern  slope  of  Mount  Moriah  is, 
the  important  part  has  always  been  that  now  included  within 
tb  :  Haram  Es-3hareef,  or  temple  enclosure ;  and  to  this  sec- 
tier,  our  discussion  will  be  confined.  Coming  from  any  of  the 
hotels  in  the  city  one  passes  down  the  western  slope  of  Zion 
by  the  appropriately  named  David's  street,  turns  a  few  steps  to 
1  2  Chron.  xxvii.  3. 


152  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  right  when  in  the  heart  of  the  city  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
intensely  foreign-looking  Turkish  bazaars,  and  is  on  Temple 
street,  which  in  my  opinion  runs  along  the  crest  of  Millo,  one 
of  David's  fortifications.  This  takes  us  across  the  Tyropean 
valley,  which,  however,  is  here  so  filled  with  the  debris  of 
ruined  cities  as  to  be  almost  imperceptible.  The  visitor  may 
enter  the  sacred  ground  of  the  noble  Sanctuary  by  any  one  of 
eleven  gates.  There  are  eight  of  these  on  the  west  side  and 
three  on  the  north.  The  east  and  south  are  closed  though 
there  are  gates  on  both  sides  now  filled  with  masonry  which 
show  that  entrance  on  these  sides  was  once  possible. 

No  Christian  or  Jew  can  ever  enter  unless  properly  escorted 
— and  "properly"  according  to  Turkish  idea  of  propriety. 
Those  visiting  the  city  now  may  congratulate  themselves,  how- 
ever ludicrous  or  annoying  Turkish  restrictions  may  be,  that 
they  are  permitted  to  see  this  enclosure  and  its  attractions, 
certainly  the  great  sights  of  Jerusalem  to-day,  at  all.  Dr. 
Barclay,1  writing  in  the  fifties,  speaks  of  the  impossibility 
then  of  securing  entrance ;  he  says  :  "So  great  is  the  fear  in- 
spired by  the  clubs  and  cimeters  of  the  blood-thirsty  savages, 
the  Mauritanian  Africans,  to  whose  jealous  custody  the  entire 
Haram  is  committed,  that  few  indeed  have  been  found  of  suf- 
ficient temerity  to  hazard  even  the  most  furtive  and  cursory 
reconnoissance  of  this  tabooed  spot."  Then  the  best  a  Chris- 
tian "  dog  "  could  do  was  to  get  an  order  to  view  the  grounds 
from  the  top  of  the  Serai ;  and  as  this  was  troublesome  and  ex- 
pensive and  after  all  very  unsatisfactory  it  was  seldom  done. 
All  a  party  has  to  do  now  is  to  send  word  to  their  consul 
specifying  the  time  they  wish  to  visit  the  Haram.  The  consul 
by  a  letter  to  the  Governor  of  Jerusalem  requests  permission, 
which  is  refused  only  during  some  of  the  great  Moslem  feasts 
when  ignorant  fanaticism  runs  dangerously  high.  Then  under 
the  escort  of  a  Consular  Cawass,  or  guard,  whose  clothes  are 
brilliant  and  who  carries  a  wicked-looking  cimeter  at  his  side, 
1  "  City  of  the  Great  King,"  p.  470. 


The  Temple  Hill  153 

aided  by  a  Turkish  soldier,  less  gaily  caparisoned,  but  feeling 
his  importance  none  the  less,  the  visitor  is  "properly  es- 
corted." He  is  now  free  from  all  annoyances,  except  the 
wearisome  monotony  of  that  word — omnipresent  in  the  Orient 
— "bucksheesh."  A  smile  is  not  out  of  place  on  the  face  of 
an  American  as  he  sees  his  military  escort  conducting  him 
through  the  streets  of  the  Holy  City,  and  imagines  what  a 
sensation  he  would  create  were  he  to  pass  along  any  street  of 
any  city  in  his  own  land  similarly  conducted.  But  he  is  now 
in  Turkey,  where  nothing  is  done  as  other  people  do  it. 

Once  inside  you  are  on  "  holy  ground,"  if  there  is  any  such 
thing ;  and  if  there  is  not  you  are  on  what  Jew  and  Moslem 
consider  "holy  ground" — the  holiest  part  of  the  Holy  City. 
Jewish,  Christian  and  Moslem  tradition  clusters  about  every 
spot  here,  but  tradition  may  be  dismissed  where  there  is  so 
much  history.  The  entire  enclosure  is  thirty-six  acres  in  ex- 
tent. There  is  thus  included  within  the  temple  walls  about 
one-sixth  of  the  entire  space  bounded  by  the  walls  of  the  city. 
The  walls  of  the  Mosque  area  are  of  unequal  length  and  face 
the  cardinal  points.  Nor  is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  consider- 
ing the  different  masons  who  at  different  ages  centuries  apart 
worked  on  them,  that  they  are  not  uniform  in  design  or  ma- 
terial. Beyond  a  doubt  some  of  the  work  of  the  masons  of 
Solomon  can  yet  be  seen  ;  also  that  of  Herod's  artificers.  As 
the  Crusaders,  than  whom  there  have  been  no  more  industrious 
builders  in  the  Christian  era,  once  held  this  Mount,  we  can 
depend  upon  it  that  they  laid  their  hands  to  this  work.  Added 
to  all  this  is  the  inferior  work  of  Sulieman  I.,  the  second  of  the 
Ottoman  sultans  who  ruled  over  Jerusalem.  The  last  is  in- 
ferior to  the  others  in  the  size  of  the  stones  and  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  dressed.  But,  as  it  has  stood  the  ravages  of 
time  for  nearly  four  and  a  half  centuries,  and  is  yet  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  it  is  not  unworthy  of  at  least  a  passing 
remark.  The  stones  were  not  quarried  by  the  Moslem  build- 
ers, because  so   much   labor   was   unnecessary  as  there  was 


154  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

abundance  of  good  wall-making  material,  the  remains  of 
houses  and  Christian  Churches,  at  hand.  For  the  time  they 
were  constructed  they  were  admirable  for  defence.  To-day 
they  are  toy  fortifications :  a  modern  gun  would  batter  them 
to  powder  in  a  few  minutes. 

On  the  west  and  north  side  of  the  Mosque  area  are  Moslem 
residences  overlooking  the  enclosure.  Most  of  the  people 
dwelling  here  are  in  some  way  connected  with  the  care  of  the 
holy  place.  As  a  rule  they  are  not  a  pleasant  looking  set,  and 
inspire  a  Christian  ''infidel  "  with  a  belief  that  they  would  do 
him  bodily  injury  if  they  dared.  They  certainly  consider  that 
such  unbelievers  have  no  right  to  enter  their  Noble  Sanctuary, 
no  matter  if  their  own  governor  did  grant  the  permission. 
While  the  adults  never  annoy  visitors  except  by  sinister  looks, 
the  children  sometimes  make  the  intruder  uncomfortable  by 
volleys  of  dirt  and  small  stones. 

Passing  in  at  the  Gate  of  the  Cotton  merchants,  we  turn  to 
the  left  to  make  an  interior  circuit  of  the  walls,  thus  gradually 
approaching  the  Dome  of  the  Rock — the  chief  glory  of  the 
place.  A  number  of  small  raised  places  will  be  seen  all  over 
the  area.  These  are  called  by  the  Arabs  "  mastaba"  and  are 
places  of  prayer.  Several  fountains  are  visible  whose  water  is 
used  for  religious  ablutions.  They  are  blessings  for  other  oc- 
casions than  the  strictly  religious,  for  Moslems  living  near  are 
permitted  to  take  all  the  water  they  need  for  home  use. 

In  the  northwest  corner  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  level  is 
higher  than  at  any  other  part  of  this  particular  platform. 
This  is  a  very  picturesque  spot  just  now  with  the  row  of  ar- 
cades on  the  west,  the  high  military  barracks  on  the  north,  and 
just  in  the  corner  a  tall  and  graceful  minaret,  from  which  is 
heard  at  regular  intervals  the  muezzin  call  to  prayer.  Besides 
its  picturesqueness  this  corner  has  great  historical  interest.  It 
was  the  site  of  the  ancient  Acra  which  was  a  fortress  and  which 
gave  the  name  to  the  hill  on  which  it  stood.  In  the  days  of 
Jewish  degeneracy,  just  before  the  revolt  of  the  Maccabees 


The  Temple  Hill  155 

against  the  power  of  Syria,  the  fort  was  in  the  possession  of 
the  enemy.  What  had  doubtless  been  intended  by  its  original 
builders,  namely  a  protection  for  the  temple,  was  instead  a 
protection  to  the  enemy  who  from  its  walls  could  see  all  that 
went  on  in  the  sacred  area.  Simon,  the  Maccabee,  having 
aroused  the  patriotism  of  his  fellow  Jews,  drove  out  the  hated 
foreign  power  and  entered  the  citadel  in  triumph.  The  opin- 
ion is  held  generally  that  under  the  Maccabees  the  rock  on 
which  Acra  stood  was  cut  away,  and  that  particular  fort  de- 
stroyed. The  evidence  on  the  scarped  rock  is  conclusive  that 
at  some  time  it  was  so  dealt  with.  But  the  Asmonean  princes 
erected  another  fortress-palace  a  little  to  the  north  of  Acra  and 
gave  it  the  name  Baris ;  this  was  increased  in  size  and  strength 
by  Herod,  who,  in  honor  of  his  great  Roman  patron,  named 
it  Antonia.  The  severest  contests  in  Jewish  history  were 
fought  around  this  northwest  corner.  The  Apostle  Paul  was 
rescued  from  the  infuriated  Jews  in  the  temple  by  soldiers  from 
this  citadel.1 

It  is  still  a  military  barracks  and  the  soldiers  of  the  Sultan 
look  out  over  the  same  enclosure  where  formerly  the  Syrians, 
the  Jews  and  the  Romans  watched  the  worshippers  in  the 
temple  of  their  time.  Here,  as  everywhere  throughout  the 
city  where  it  was  possible,  the  later  builders  have  used  the 
foundations  laid  by  their  predecessors.  Above  the  rock  scarp 
made  by  the  Maccabees  are  some  of  the  huge  stones  dating 
from  Roman  times.  The  smaller  Saracenic  masonry  rests 
upon  these.  It  is  altogether  probable  that,  in  the  days  of 
Jerusalem's  glory  as  a  city,  this  stronghold  was  much  larger, 
extending  further  toward  the  east,  perhaps  as  far  as  the  western 
end  of  the  Pool  of  Bethesda.  If  so  it  has  been  destroyed  and 
never  rebuilt,  for  now  from  the  barracks  to  this  point  there  is 
nothing  but  some  Moslem  residences.  Going  under  the  arcade 
on  this  northern  side  one  can  look  down  into  the  immense 
hollow  wherein  the  time  of  our  Lord  was  one  of  the  great 
1  Acts  xxi.  27. 


1  56  Jerusalem  the   Holy- 

reservoirs  of  the  city.  It  is  now  dry  and  is  gradually  being 
filled  with  debris.  At  present  the  bottom  of  the  pool  is  about 
sixty-five  feet  below  the  level  of  the  arcade.  Formerly  a  valley 
ran  from  northwest  to  southeast,  and  its  depression  was  utilized 
to  make  Antonia  more  difficult  of  attack  and  to  afford  room 
for  the  pool.  Captain  Warren  was  permitted  to  excavate  in 
this  vicinity,  and  among  other  interesting  discoveries  unearthed 
an  opening  in  the  north  wall  of  the  Haram  through  which  he 
supposes  the  superfluous  water  of  the  pool  found  an  exit.  The 
natives  now  call  this  the  "  Pool  of  Israel." 

Omitting  the  northeast  corner,  where  is  nothing  of  particu- 
lar interest,  we  walk  across  to  the  east  wall,  meeting  it  at  a 
small  mosque  called  the  "Throne  of  Solomon."  This  is  the 
product  of  Moslem  fables  about  the  Wise  King ;  their  cre- 
dulity enables  them  to  believe  that  here  Solomon  was  found 
dead  upon  his  seat  of  judgment.  There  is  one  thing  repeated 
here  a  thousand  times,  that  is  convincing  as  to  the  sacredness 
of  the  site.  The  place  where  a  saint  has  been  in  life  or  where 
his  body  rests  in  death  is  regarded  by  the  faithful  as  specially 
suitable  for  prayer.  At  such  a  spot  a  continual  prayer  can  be 
offered  without  the  presence  of  the  suppliant.  A  piece  of 
cloth  from  his  garment  will  be  a  perpetual  reminder  to  the 
saint,  so  he  takes  it  and  ties  it  on  the  tomb  or  house  that  has 
been  erected  in  memory  of  the  revered  one.  So  all  over  the 
screened  windows  of  this  modern  Mosque  that  commemorates 
the  death  of  Solomon,  are  the  many  colored  rags  which  have 
been  torn  from  the  garments  of  the  devout,  hardly  an  addition 
to  the  beauty  of  the  Mosque. 

A  few  steps  further  to  the  south  and  still  along  the  east  wall, 
bring  one  to  the  Bab  el-Daheriyeh,  or  Golden  Gate.  This 
considerable  structure  can  only  be  entered  from  the  west.  The 
custodians  of  the  Mosque  usually  object  to  exhibiting  it ;  but 
a  little  extra  persuasion  of  the  financial  kind,  in  this,  as  in 
most  other  particulars,  succeeds  in  smoothing  the  way.  The 
"holy  men"  of  this  holy  place  are  weak  in  the  presence  of 


The  Temple  Hill  157 

this  kind  of  temptation,  and  after  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  them,  I  am  convinced  that  they  never  grieve  over  their 
frequent  falls  and  never  pray  to  be  delivered  from  the  tempta- 
tion. 

The  Golden  Gate  bears  evidence  of  antiquity,  though  in  its 
present  form  it  dates  from  about  the  fifth  century  of  our  era. 
It  was  near  here,  perhaps  on  the  very  same  site,  that  the  an- 
cient Shushan  gate  stood.  A  mistake  is  often  made  by  con- 
founding the  Golden  Gate  with  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  tem- 
ple.1 The  latter,  which  was  in  the  inner  court,  was  entirely 
destroyed  when  the  Romans  under  Titus  entered  the  city,  and 
was  never  rebuilt.  The  date  of  this  Golden  Gate  has  been  a 
fruitful  source  of  discussion ;  the  opinion  advanced  above  is 
that  generally  accepted.  The  gate  on  the  interior  presents  a 
double  arch  resting  on  large  monolithic  posts.  The  arches  are 
ornately  carved,  and  before  they  were  defaced  by  time  and 
neglect,  must  have  been  very  beautiful.  It  is  certainly  one  of 
the  mural  attractions  of  the  interior  of  the  Haram.  Being 
now  properly  cleared  out  and  cared  for,  it  is  worth  visiting 
and  going  to  the  little  necessary  annoyance  and  expense  of  se- 
curing entrance.  A  flight  of  stone  stairs  leads  down  to  the 
gate  proper,  which  is  fully  twenty-five  feet  below  the  surface 
of  the  surrounding  ground.  It  is,  however,  much  more  of  a 
gate  than  were  the  other  gates  of  the  city.  The  one  who  en- 
ters sees  a  large  room,  in  the  middle  of  which  stand  two  large 
pillars  supporting  the  domes  of  the  roof.  There  are  several 
features  about  the  interior  decoration  which  authorities  on  ar- 
chitecture regard  as  proof  of  the  Byzantine  origin  of  this  part 
of  the  structure. 

The  Golden  Gate  has  been  closed  for  many  years.  Soon 
after  the  conquering  of  the  Christian  forces  by  Saladin,  this 
double  entrance  at  the  east  was  walled  up.  In  Crusading 
times  on  the  anniversary  of  Christ's  triumphal  entry  into  the 
city,  the  Latins  made  a  great  procession  and  came  down  from 
1  Acts  iii.  2. 


158  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  Mount  of  Olives  carrying  palm  branches  and  shouting 
"  Hosanna,"  and  entered  by  this  gate.  The  Moslem  custodian 
and  others  of  the  Faithful,  have  informed  me  that  they  walled 
up  the  entrance  so  as  to  keep  the  Christians  out.  There  is  a 
tradition  among  the  present  proprietors  that  on  some  Friday 
Jerusalem  will  fall  into  the  possession  of  the  Christians  and 
that  the  conqueror  will  enter  by  this  gate.  This  most  reason- 
able of  their  local  traditions  is  also  sure  of  verification  in  the 
near  future,  except  as  to  the  use  of  this  gate  for  entrance. 

Keeping  the  course  southward  along  the  wall  or  on  the 
grassy  space  near  it,  the  visitor  in  February  or  March  is  struck 
by  the  profusion  of  wild  flowers  which  display  the  most  bril- 
liant and  most  delicate  hues.  Conspicuous  among  them  for 
abundance  and  rare  coloring  is  the  "lily  of  the  field,"  which 
one  has  but  to  see  to  understand  the  force  of  the  Master's  as- 
sertion that  "  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one 
of  these."  All  along  here  for  perhaps  eight  hundred  feet  the 
wall  above  the  surface  is  modern,  but  is  built  upon  very  ancient 
foundations.  On  the  battlement  of  the  wall,  as  one  approaches 
the  southeast  corner,  is  one  of  the  best  view-points  in  Jerusa- 
lem. Elevated  high  above  the  Kedron  it  looks  but  a  short 
distance  across  the  valley  to  the  slopes  of  Olivet,  where  rest  the 
remains  of  tens  of  thousands  of  the  children  of  Abraham. 
This  cleft  was  once  spanned  by  a  bridge — and  according  to  Mos- 
lem belief  will  be  so  again  on  the  final  day  of  judgment.  Instead 
of  a  foot-bridge,  however,  like  the  first  structure,  this  last  one 
will  be  a  fine  wire.  Every  soul  will  have  to  pass  over  this 
from  the  Mount  to  the  temple  wall.  The  faithful  will  accom- 
plish the  crossing  in  safety ;  all  others  will  fall  into  the  deep 
Kedron  valley  which  will  open  into  hell.  A  horizontal  col- 
umn sticking  out  of  the  wall  marks  the  place  where  the  west- 
ern end  of  this  bridge  for  spirits  will  end.  The  strange  part 
of  the  story  is  that  Christ  will  be  on  Mount  Olivet  to  welcome 
the  successful ;  Mohammed's  position  will  be  where  the  bridge 
starts  on  the  Temple  wall. 


The  Temple  Hill  1 59 

From  this  southeast  corner  the  whole  course  of  the  Kedron 
valley,  from  the  Tomb  of  the  Virgin  to  the  junction  with  the 
valley  of  Hinnom,  can  be  traced.  It  is  a  giddy  height  now 
to  look  down  from  and  must  have  been  much  more  so  before 
the  immense  accumulations  of  debris  had  gathered  outside  the 
wall.  This  corner  is  a  famous  one  from  an  archaeological  point 
of  view,  and  is  subject  of  much  difference  of  opinion.  I  see 
no  reason  for  doubting  its  antiquity ;  I  would  even  refer  the 
immense  stones  here  to  the  time  of  Solomon.  The  marvel  is 
how  any  builders  at  any  time  were  able  to  put  these  stones  in 
position.  On  this  corner  was  one  of  the  strong  towers,  which 
the  Jews  always  took  special  pains  to  erect  of  the  largest  and 
best  material.  The  "  chief  corner  stone  "  must  have  been  an 
object  of  great  care. 

From  this  corner  there  is  an  entrance  down  some  rude  stairs 
to  the  substructures  where  we  gain  a  good  idea  of  the  immense 
amount  of  labor  necessary  to  bring  this  part  of  the  temple  area 
up  to  the  required  level.  Could  this  southeastern  slope  of 
Moriah  be  cleared  of  all  the  works  of  human  hands  we  should 
probably  find  that  there  was  a  rapid  descent  from  the  "holy 
rock  "  to  the  bed  of  the  Kedron.  The  ancient  levellers  were 
good  engineers  as  well  as  laborers,  and  in  preparing  the  sacred 
enclosure,  they  rightly  spared  neither  money  nor  labor  to 
make  it  worthy  to  be  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  their  God. 

The  corner  stairs  bring  us  first  to  a  small  praying  place  in 
which  is  shown  the  alleged  "cradle  of  Jesus,"  which  has  on 
it  the  very  marks  that  disprove  the  claim.  It  is  a  small  prayer 
niche  that  has  had  its  position  changed.  The  Mohammedans 
treat  it  with  great  veneration.  Our  Moslem  soldier  kneels 
down  beside  it,  lays  his  two  hands  upon  it  and  rubs  them  over 
his  face.  Passing  through  a  door  to  the  west  one  gets  his  first 
view  of  the  "Stables  of  Solomon,"  wonderful  relics  of  an  un- 
certain age,  but  certainly  attesting  the  skill  of  those  who  laid 
their  foundations.  They  are  not  stables  and  were  never  in- 
tended to  be  so  used.   However,  the  Crusaders  did  so  use  them 


160  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  the  holes  pierced  through  the  square  corners  of  the  col- 
umns show  where  their  horses  were  tied.  These  columns  be- 
long to  the  time  of  either  Herod  or  Solomon,  and  do  credit  to 
whoever  built  them ;  they  are  about  a  hundred  in  number  and 
are  the  support  of  more  modern  arches  upon  which  rest  the 
large  flag-stones  on  the  surface  above.  One  can  wander  around 
in  these  vaults  and  among  this  forest  of  imposing  columns 
for  some  time  and  not  grow  weary  unless,  unfortunately  for 
himself  and  his  companions,  he  belongs  to  that  lackadaisical 
class  of  people — too  many  of  whom  waste  their  "substance  " 
in  coming  to  Jerusalem — who  can  find  no  interest  in  anything. 
There  are  fragments  of  ancient  columns  and  arches  built  in  the 
walls.  The  place  where  the  "  single  gate  "  and  "  triple  gate  " 
were,  ancient  entrances  to  the  temple  from  the  south,  still  have 
their  foundations  preserved.  These  large  square  columns  may 
extend  for  some  distance  down  into  the  ground.  Many  of 
them  are  exposed  for  twenty-five  feet  of  their  length.  They 
are  composed  of  large,  square,  smooth-faced  stones  with  edges 
slightly  bevelled.  Interesting  finds  would  undoubtedly  result 
could  permission  be  had  to  excavate  here.  But  so  long  as  the 
Turk  has  possession  the  world  will  be  none  the  wiser  and  those 
who  should  like  to  know  will  continue  to  speculate. 

We  must  return  to  the  surface  by  the  same  way  entrance 
was  had,  turn  to  the  west,  cross  a  large  paved  court  and  enter 
a  side  door  of  the  Mosque  el  Aksa,  now  a  holy  structure  of 
the  Moslems  where  all  their  public  services  are  held,  but  orig- 
inally a  Christian  Church,  or  basilica,  built  by  the  Emperor 
Justinian  in  honor  of  the  Virgin.  In  the  conquest  by  Omar 
this  was  one  of  the  buildings  he  considered  would  be  useful  to 
his  co-religionists.  Taking  it  he  rededicated  it  and  called  it 
Jam  'i  el  Aksa.  It  is  a  mistake  to  call  it  the  Masjid  el  Aksa 
for  it  is  now  nothing  more  than  a  mosque.  Masjid  is  the 
term  correctly  applied  to  the  entire  temple  area.  This  name, 
Masjid  el  Aksa,  is  taken  from  the  Koran  1  which  refers  to  the 

i  xvii.  i. 


The  Temple  Hill  161 

ascent  to  heaven  of  Mohammed  from  the  temple  of  Jerusalem. 
The  passage  reads:  "Praise  be  unto  Him  who  transported 
his  servant  by  night  from  El  Masjid  el  Haram  (/.  e.  the  '  Sa- 
cred Place  of  Adoration  '  at  Mecca)  to  El  Masjid  el  Aksa  (i.  e. 
the  Remote  Place  of  Adoration  at  Jerusalem)."  l  Masjid  is 
from  the  word  "sejada,"  meaning  "to  adore."  "El  Aksa" 
means  "the  Remote"  and  is  applied  to  Jerusalem  because  of 
its  great  distance  from  Mecca. 

The  Mosque  el  Aksa  is  notable  for  its  size  rather  than  any 
attractiveness  of  architecture  or  ornamentation.  It  is  by  far 
the  largest  single  room  in  the  city.  To  it  every  Friday  comes 
the  Turkish  Governor  of  Palestine.  At  the  same  hour  when 
His  Serene  Highness,  the  Sultan,  is  attentive  to  the  services  in 
The  Palace  Mosque,  at  Constantinople,  his  representative  is  en- 
joying the  privilege  of  worship  in  a  much  more  holy  place.  To 
one  who  knows  nothing  of  the  Moslem  form  of  worship  the 
genuflexions  and  prostrations  of  a  company  of  the  faithful  are 
peculiar  sights.  There  is  a  devoutness  about  it  all  that  is  to 
be  commended.  The  immense  oratory  of  the  Mosque  el  Aksa 
is  a  splendid  place  in  which  to  witness  it,  though  on  Friday, 
the  day  when  most  is  to  be  seen,  the  visitor  to  the  city  is  not 
admitted. 

The  Mosque  was  formerly  cruciform.  This  form  did  not 
please  the  conquerors  and  in  the  restoration  at  the  time  of  El 
Mahdi  two  aisles  were  added,  one  on  each  side,  and  thus  the 
objectionable  feature  was  altered  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  advo- 
cates of  "the  Star  and  Crescent."  Much  old  material  has 
been  worked  into  this  edifice,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  disprove 
the  assertion — just  as  hard  as  it  would  be  to  prove  it — that  the 
pillars  in  nave  and  transept  are  relics  of  the  Herodian  temple. 
That  they  were  not  originally  designed  for  this  is  evident, 
particularly  in  the  transept  where  the  lack  of  uniformity  is 
very  noticeable.  To  stop  and  inspect  all  the  details  of  this 
Mosque  would  be  more  than  any  traveller  does  and  much 
xBesant  &  Palmer,  "  History  of  Jerusalem,"  p.  93. 


162  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

more  than  any  reader  would  wish  to  do.  However,  there  are 
two  features  worthy  of  mention.  There  are  several  pieces  of 
ancient  marble  worked  into  curious  shapes  which  undoubtedly 
date  from  the  long  ago  and  may  have  been  part  of  the  wealth 
of  marble  with  which  the  temple  of  Herod  was  adorned.  The 
antiquary  or  admirer  of  the  curious  will  not  pass  these  by. 
The  second  feature  is  the  pulpit.  This  stands  at  the  eastern 
end  of  the  Mosque  and  is  composed  of  intricately  and  beauti- 
fully carved  wood,  the  details  of  which  are  perfect.  It  is  the 
work  of  an  artist  in  wood,  who  lived  in  Aleppo  several  cen- 
turies ago,  and  gives  an  admirable  illustration  of  the  patience 
characteristic  of  the  artist  who  is  entirely  faithful  to  his  art. 

Those  who  are  interested  in  superstitious  beliefs  and  practices 
will  view  with  wonder  the  narrow  space  between  two  dark 
granite  pillars  just  west  of  the  pulpit.  It  was  believed,  and  is 
yet  by  many  of  the  "  faithful,"  that  any  one  who  could  not 
pass  between  these  pillars  could  never  enter  Paradise.  It  was 
a  matter  on  which  there  was  no  wish  to  be  in  doubt,  and  for 
centuries  the  effort  must  have  been  made,  for  the  eastern  col- 
umn is  considerably  worn  away  with  the  attrition  of  human 
beings  who  have  successfully  passed  through  the  "  narrow 
way."  Modern  visitors  or  worshippers  must  remain  in  doubt, 
for  an  iron  frame  has  been  securely  fixed  between  the  columns. 

Looking  to  the  west  from  this  point  a  long  double  colonnade 
may  be  seen,  the  vaulting  of  which  is  pointed.  It  is  of  little 
interest  now  and  seldom  visited.  But  here  in  the  days  of  the 
Christian  domination  the  Knights  Templar  lived.  They  felt 
that  their  location  was  an  important  one  and  called  it  Palatium 
Solomon  is — the  Palace  of  Solomon.  They  were  the  most 
aristocratic  of  all  the  orders  of  that  time,  and  this  may  have 
been  the  secret  of  that  success  which  resulted  in  their  fall. 
Wealth  poured  in  upon  them  and  with  its  increase  departed 
humility  and  consecration  to  the  cause  they  had  sworn  to  sup- 
port. They  were  soon  in  open  hostility  to  the  Church  and 
professed  to  have  had  a  religious  experience  beyond  that  ac- 


The  Temple  Hill  163 

corded  to  the  vulgar  Christian.  A  little  more  than  a  century 
after  the  institution  of  this  order  by  Hugh  de  Payens  and 
Geoffrey  de  St.  Aldemar,  in  company  with  seven  other 
Knights,  it  had  grown  until  it  numbered  nineteen  thousand. 
Each  of  these  members  was  wealthy  enough  to  support  a 
knight  in  the  Holy  Land.  And  yet  they  did  but  little  at  any 
time  to  redeem  the  country  from  its  Moslem  possessors.  They 
had  a  secret  creed  which  confessed  that  there  was  no  higher 
ecclesiastical  power  than  the  order  itself.  "It  owned  no 
bishop  and  would  obey  no  pope."  *  This  was  a  novel  position 
for  those  days. 

As  we  come  out  of  the  Mosque  el  Aksa  by  the  main  door  at 
the  western  porch,  a  few  steps  to  the  right  reveal  a  dark  un- 
derground passage  running  south  under  the  east  side  of  the 
mosque ;  it  is  composed  of  heavy  masonry  on  the  sides  and 
vaulted  with  smaller  stones.  An  inclined  plane  leads  down  to 
another  level  where  we  perceive  that  we  are  in  a  double  pas- 
sage. Light  from  a  small  window  in  the  southern  wall  shows 
us  eight  high  steps  which  bring  us  down  to  another  level  and 
enable  us  to  get  a  good  idea  of  the  substructions  of  El  Aksa. 
The  temple  does  not  lack  for  solidity :  two  short,  but  very 
thick  monolith  columns  support  the  arches,  and  appear  able  to 
carry  the  burden  for  many  centuries  yet.  With  an  eye  to 
preserving  these  great  stones  or  perhaps  adding  to  their 
rugged  grandeur,  the  custodian  has  given  them  a  coat  of  white- 
wash. The  result  awakens  a  desire  in  the  bosom  of  the  be- 
holder to  choke  the  unpoetic  rascal  who  did  it.  There  is  no 
doubt  about  his  rascality. 

But  the  main  points  of  interest  here  are  the  unquestioned 
and  well-preserved  remains  of  the  old  Double  Gate,  called  in 
the  Talmud  the  Huldah  Portal.  Three  columns  are  visible 
and  are  of  the  size  and  workmanship  that  causes  them  to  be 
assigned  to  the  Jewish  period.  The  lintels  of  the  gates  are 
still  here  and  the  sculptured  capitals  of  the  pillars.  Time  has 
1  Besant  &  Palmer,  p.  279. 


164  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

laid  his  hand  upon  them  and  the  Moslem  has  done  his  worst 
with  whitewash.  These  detract  a  little  from  present  appear- 
ances, but  not  from  their  record  as  memorials  of  a  more  glori- 
ous past.  Being  the  main  entrance  to  the  temple  enclosure 
from  the  south  we  may  be  certain  that  more  than  once  the 
Teacher  out  of  Galilee  with  his  unpretending  pupils  went  by 
this  way  into  "  His  Father's  House." 

Following  the  direction  the  Divine  One  would  thus  take,  the 
cistern  called  the  Well  of  the  Leaf  is  passed.  Moslem  tradi- 
tion holds  that  a  gate  to  Paradise  leads  from  this  and  that  one 
of  Omar's  companions  passed  through  it,  and  as  proof  showed 
a  leaf  from  one  of  the  unfading  trees ;  nobody  else  has  ever 
succeeded  in  finding  the  Paradise  door.  Here  are  also  im- 
mense cisterns,  the  ones  we  read  about  in  accounts  of  the 
ancient  city,  whose  waters  supplied  the  great  demands  of  the 
temple  service.  Solomon  was  their  builder,  and  into  them 
through  the  tortuous  aqueduct  poured  the  stream  from  the 
"  Sealed  Fountain."  Was  this  the  "  river,  the  streams  whereof 
make  glad  the  city  of  our  God  "  ?  One  of  these  hewn  cisterns 
was  called  the  "  Sea,"  and,  when  its  dimensions  are  known,  the 
name  does  not  seem  inappropriate ;  it  is  forty  feet  deep  and 
seven  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet  in  circumference. 

But  the  Holy  Rock  and  the  Dome  that  covers  it  must  now 
attract  us.  By  a  flight  of  twenty-one  steps  we  reach  a  broad 
platform  whose  sides  face  the  cardinal  points.  A  number  of 
places  of  minor  importance  are  here,  connected  with  Jewish, 
Christian  and  Mohammedan  traditions.  To  mention  them  all 
by  name  would  be  neither  interesting  nor  instructive  and  to 
recount  their  improbable  fables  and  fancies  would  be  unprofit- 
able. 

Standing  upon  the  summit  of  Moriah,  a  place  made  sacred 
by  Divine  appointment  and  by  the  prayerful  veneration  of  the 
millions  who  believe  in  one  only  God,  a  height  whence  rose 
those  temples — visions  of  snow  and  gold-emblematic  of  purity 
and  consecration,  a  place  from  which  ascended  to  heaven  the 


The  Temple  Hill  165 

smoke  from  the  altar  of  offering  illustrating  the  human  con- 
sciousness that  "without  the  shedding  of  blood  is  no  remission," 
a  place  which  has  successively  during  three  thousand  years 
been  in  the  possession  of  Jew  and  Christian  and  Mohammedan, 
a  place  now  graced  with  one  of  the  most  exquisite  structures 
on  earth, — how  little  do  the  things  of  man  seem  here,  how  lit- 
tle man  himself!     It  is  a  place  for  thought. 

The  present  building  is  popularly  called  the  Mosque  of 
Omar,  but  it  is  not  a  mosque  nor  had  Omar  anything  to  do 
with  it.  This  caliph  does  deserve  credit  for  his  reverence  for 
the  place  and  that  he  did  erect  a  mosque  near  here  is  a 
matter  of  history.  The  account  of  his  locating  his  building 
informs  us  that  he  asked  a  Jew  where  would  be  the  best  site 
and  received  the  reply,  "Place  it  behind  the  Holy  Rock  so 
that  the  two  places  of  adoration,  that  of  Moses  and  of  Mo- 
hammed, may  be  identical."  "Ah,"  said  Omar,  "  thou  art 
still  a  Jew  and  leanest  to  Jewish  notions.  The  best  place  for 
the  mosque  is  in  front  of  the  rock."  So  there  it  was  built — 
a  large,  square,  wooden  structure  capable  of  holding  three 
thousand  people.  The  present  building  called  by  the  Moslems 
Kubbet  es-Sakhrah,  or  "Dome  of  the  Rock,"  is  the  most 
beautiful  bit  of  architecture  in  Jerusalem.  This  is  no  great 
praise.  Much  more  might  be  said  in  its  favor,  and  as  Pro- 
fessor Lewis  in  "The  Holy  Places  of  Jerusalem,"  says,  "It  is 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  buildings  existing." 
Mr.  Fergusson,  speaking  as  an  architect,  affirms  that  it  is 
"  unrivalled  in  the  world."  The  latter  opinion  is  at  least  ex- 
travagant. 

The  building  is  octagonal,  each  side  being  sixty-six  and  a 
half  feet  in  length.  It  is  faced  from  the  ground  to  the  win- 
dow sills  with  slabs  of  marble  peculiarly  grained  and  placed 
so  as  to  produce  a  very  pleasing  effect.  That  some  of  this 
work  is  from  the  days  of  the  Crusaders,  is  more  than  probable. 
These  Christian  warriors  took  the  city  in  1099  a.  d.,  and  were 
wise  enough  not  to  destroy  the  work  of  the  Moslems  around 


166  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  Holy  Rock.  They  appropriated  and  added  to  it.  Above 
the  marble  facing  on  the  exterior  walls  are  very  fine  tiles  which 
took  the  place  of  marble  and  were  placed  by  Sulieman  the 
Magnificent  in  1561.  In  fact  a  complete  restoration  was 
effected  by  this  monarch  and  the  Dome  is  to-day  much  as  he 
left  it.  Visitors  cannot  but  admire  the  marvellously  executed 
inscriptions  in  tile  work  which  run  entirely  around  the  build- 
ing. Each  tile  had  to  be  written  and  burned  separately,  but 
the  result  is  certainty  all  the  designer  could  wish.  One  can- 
not help  noticing  also  that  this  gem  of  architecture — for  such 
the  Kubbet  es-Sakhrah  is — is  being  neglected  by  its  owners. 
There  are  many  signs  of  decay.  Some  of  the  marble  slabs 
and  tiles  have  fallen  off  and  no  effort  is  being  made  to  replace 
them.  There  is  even  a  suspicion  that  the  religious  heads  of 
the  institution  will,  for  a  sufficient  consideration,  cause  them 
to  be  removed  and  find  their  way  into  the  hands  of  "  infidel  " 
strangers.  With  all  this  neglect  and  vandalism  it  is  one  of 
the  best  preserved  of  religious  buildings  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  followers  of  the  Arab  prophet.  I  have  yet  to  see  one 
that  is  not  in  decay. 

There  is  beauty  still  here  and  grandeur,  and  one  can 
come  often  without  weariness.  Within  all  is  in  good  condi- 
tion. Immense  elegant  rugs  of  Turkish  design  and  manu- 
facture, the  gift  of  the  present  Sultan — hide  the  floor ;  their 
colors  combining  well  with  the  other  furnishings  of  the  place. 
Two  circles  of  variously  colored  concentric  marble  pillars 
divide  the  interior  into  three  apartments.  The  shafts  of  the 
pillars  are  of  different  kinds  of  marble.  That  they  were  not 
especially  constructed  for  their  present  positions  is  readily  con- 
cluded from  the  fact  that  they  differ  in  form,  height  and  in 
some  cases  in  design.  The  capitals  of  the  columns  are  all 
gilded,  but  differ  in  size  and  design.  On  some  of  the  capitals 
blocks  of  stone  had  to  be  placed  in  order  to  bring  the  entire 
height  of  the  column  to  twenty  feet.  On  these  the  arches  are 
supported.     The  larger  circle  consists  of  eight  six-sided  piers 


The  Temple  Hill  167 

and  two  columns  placed  between  each  two  piers,  to  assist  in 
the  support  of  the  roof  proper.  The  smaller  circle  of  pillars, 
which  supports  the  dome,  consists  of  four  piers,  each  with 
three  columns  on  each  side  of  it.  The  ironwork  between  the 
pillars  is  the  work  of  the  Crusaders  and  very  artistic.  The 
dome  itself  is  of  wood,  covered  with  lead,  and  as  black  as 
paint  can  make  it.  From  the  ground  to  the  crescent  that  sur- 
mounts the  dome  the  distance  is  1153^2  feet;  the  diameter  of 
the  dome  is  sixty-six  feet  and  the  vault  thirty-nine  feet. 
Within  the  dome  is  colored  a  beautiful  blue  and  ornamented 
with  gilded  stucco  in  the  Arabesque  style.  The  whole  design 
is  pleasing  and  the  execution  faithfully  carried  out.  Finally 
the  magnificent  colored  windows  were  the  gift  of  Sulieman  and 
bear  the  date  935,  which  is  1528  of  our  era.  Such  a  descrip- 
tion as  is  here  given  leaves  much  to  be  told,  but  the  interested 
reader  can  find  it  all  in  special  works  on  the  subject.  The 
Dome  of  the  Rock  has  never  been  lacking  in  enthusiastic  ad- 
mirers and  no  detail  of  its  beauty  has  been  omitted. 

Just  beneath  the  dome  lies  the  rock,  massive  and  rugged  and 
silent.  Would  that  it  had  a  speaking  tongue  and  could  tell  what 
scenes  have  been  enacted  upon  it  and  about  it !  Tradition 
says  that  here  Abraham  offered  Isaac.  It  is  the  general  belief 
that  on  it  stood  the  altar  David  built  after  the  angel  of  destruc- 
tion, that  had  been  slaying  thousands  of  Israel,  had  put  up  his 
sword.  Later  the  great  altar  of  burnt-offering  occupied  the 
site  and  there  are  markings  upon  the  rock  which  bear  out  this 
statement.  Traces  of  a  channel  that  might  have  been  used  for 
carrying  off  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice,  and  a  large  opening 
leading  down  through  the  rock  to  a  natural  cave  from  which 
there  is  a  subterranean  passage,  can  be  seen.  The  Holy  Rock 
rises  six-and-a-half  feet  higher  than  the  floor  of  the  Mosque 
and  is  fifty-seven  feet  long  by  forty-three  wide.  Marks  of 
tools  are  plain  on  the  western  side  and  traces  of  steps  are  visi- 
ble. These  marks  may  be  the  work  of  the  Crusaders  who  are 
known  to  have  had  an  altar  on  the  rock. 


l68  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Besides  the  many  Jewish  legends  that  cluster  about  the 
Sakhrah,  there  are  some  Christian  and  a  multitude  of  Moslem 
ones.  No  account  of  these  will  here  be  given,  as  the  majority 
of  them  are  wholly  improbable  and  the  rest  silly.  All  those 
of  the  Moslems,  except  Mohammed's  midnight  visit  and  as- 
cent, are  fabrications  of  the  prophet's  successors  who  have 
sought  in  this  way  to  give  to  this  sacred  place  of  the  Jews  a 
strictly  Moslem  setting.  Because  of  its  peculiarity  mention 
must  be  made  of  their  strange  belief  that  on  the  day  of  judg- 
ment the  sacred  Kaaba  will  come  from  Mecca  to  the  Sakhrah. 
This  is  explained  by  saying  that  the  trumpet  of  the  judgment 
will  be  here  sounded  and  on  the  Holy  Rock  God  will  establish 
His  throne.  It  is  the  desire  of  the  faithful  to  pray  once  from 
this  venerated  spot,  for  did  not  "the  prophet"  himself  say 
that  one  prayer  offered  here  is  better  than  a  thousand  from  any 
other  place  ? 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Rock  are  eleven  steps  leading  down 
into  the  cavern,  concerning  which  there  is  a  great  deal  of  con- 
jecture. There  are  four  ancient  altars  in  it  named  after  Abra- 
ham, David,  Solomon  and  St.  George ;  how  ancient  they  are 
will  never  be  known.  From  this  cave  there  is  a  rock-cutting, 
which  is  thought  to  be  a  passage  leading  down  to  the  Kedron. 
The  entrance  is  now  closed  by  a  tight-fitting  marble  slab  and 
guarded  so  carefully  that  there  is  no  chance  of  seeing  into  it. 
The  Moslem  guardians  have  no  curiosity  and  a  great  deal  of 
superstition,  hence  they  either  do  not  wish  or  are  afraid  to 
take  off  the  marble  covering.  A  thousand  tourists  every  year 
enter  this  cave,  every  one  of  whom  has  curiosity  enough  and  a 
sufficient  lack  of  superstition  to  do  the  lifting  and  make  the 
inspection  ;  all  they  want  is  the  permission.  As  the  hole  from 
the  ancient  altar  led  down  into  this  cave  and  from  hence  the 
sacrificial  blood  was  carried  off  into  the  Kedron,  it  is  not  at 
all  unlikely  that  the  temple  service  was  in  some  way  connected 
with  it.     But  the  cave  itself  is  as  much  of  a  mystery  as  the 


The  Temple  Hill  169 

rock-cut  passage  leading  from  it  and  which  the  Moslems,  for 
lack  of  a  better  name,  call  "the  well  of  souls." 

Coming  out  of  the  Dome  by  the  east  door  we  see  immedi- 
ately in  front  of  us  a  miniature  copy  of  the  Kubbet  es-Sakhrah. 
It  is  known  as  Mehkemeh  Daud,  the  Judgment  seat  of  David, 
and  is  a  graceful  little  affair ;  there  is  in  it  great  variety  yet 
pleasing  unity.  The  bases  and  shafts  and  capitals  of  its  col- 
umns are  not  at  all  alike  and  clearly  prove  that  they  were  not 
originally  intended  for  their  present  positions.  It  is  held  by 
the  Moslems,  and  it  may  be  true,  that  the  architect  of  this  and 
the  larger  structure  was  the  same  person  and  that  the  smaller 
was  erected  first  and  was  the  model  for  the  more  famous  build- 
ing. Turning  to  the  west,  crossing  the  limestone  flagged 
court  and  passing  under  the  graceful  arcades  which  stand  at 
the  head  of  each  of  the  main  stairs  leading  to  the  lower  level, 
we  leave  this,  the  cleanest  and  most  attractive  and  most  sacred 
part  and  are  in  the  narrow  dirty  streets  of  the  Old  City — 
streets  that  once  were  paved  with  marble  and  on  which  the 
wealth  and  beauty  of  Judea  could  be  seen ;  where  later,  the 
courtier  of  Rome  and  the  austere  priests  passed  and  repassed, 
and  where  now  is  so  much  poverty  and  distress. 


CHURCH  OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHRE 


The  Holiness  of  the  Site — Location — Roman  Conquest — 
Pella — Jews — Trajan — Hadrian's  Reconstruction — Temple  of 
Venus  —  Constantine  —  Eusebius  —  Macarius  —  Helena — The 
Basilica — Other  Buildings — Bordeaux  Pilgrim — Calvary — 
Chosroes  II. — Destruction  and  Rebuilding — Omar — Hakem — 
Rebuilding  by  Nicephorous  Crusaders — Saewulf — Saladin — 
Fire  of  1808 — Rebuilding — The  Modern  Church — Description 
Moslem  Guard — Stone  of  Unction — Chapel  of  Adam — Calvary 
— Chapel  of  the  Nailing — Rotunda — Holy  Sepulchre — Chapel 
of  the  Angels — Chapel  of  the  Sepulchre — Jewish  Tombs — 
Chapel  of  the  Apparition — Column  of  the  Flagellation — Sword 
of  Godfrey — Chapel  of  the  Greeks — Small  Chapels — Chapel 
of  St.  Helena — Finding  of  the  Cross — Other  Holy  Places — 
Effect  of  it  All— The  One  Sublime  Fact. 


172 


CHURCH  OF  THE  HOLY   SEPULCHRE 

NO  place  in  the  Christian  world  has  been  regarded  with 
so  much  veneration  as  that  occupied  by  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre.  For  more  than  fourteen  centuries  the 
taces  of  European  and  oriental  Christians  have  been  turned 
devoutly  toward  it,  and  their  eyes  have  longed  to  behold  its 
sacred  relics.  Whatever  opinion  we  may  hold  as  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  its  location  there  can  be  no  question  that  to  the 
majority  of  those  who  profess  the  Christian  faith  this  building 
covers  the  holiest  ground  of  earth.  Two-thirds  of  all  Chris- 
tendom love  this  spot  above  all  others,  because  they  believe  it 
to  be  the  sepulchre  of  their  crucified  Lord.  They  are  not 
troubled  by  any  questions  as  to  location.  Tradition  and  the 
Church  say  that  here  Christ  was  crucified  and  buried,  and  they 
ask  no  better  reason  for  their  belief. 

The  possibility — to  me  the  strong  probability — that  the 
present  building  does  not  contain  either  the  place  of  death  or 
of  sepulture  of  our  Lord,  cannot  destroy  interest  in  this  his- 
toric monument.  For  it  is  historic,  apart  from  the  momentous 
fact  from  which  its  name  is  derived.  It  has  been  the  scene  of 
many  battles  for  the  faith,  battles  in  which  heroes  fought,  not 
for  their  own  glory  but  for  what  they  deemed  honor  to  their 
Lord.  Cold  criticism  of  to-day  may  affirm  that  these  warriors 
were  a  set  of  mistaken  men  whose  abilities  and  time  had  been 
better  employed  at  home  in  the  pursuits  of  peace.  No  doubt 
the  affirmation  is  true,  but  its  truth  does  not  tarnish  the  fame 
of  those  who  considered  that  a  Christian's  first  duty  was  to  as- 
sist  in  rescuing  his  Lord's  tomb  from  the  possession  of  the 

i73 


174  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

"  infidel,"  and  who  made  this,  the  reputed  place  of  that  tomb 
the  object  of  their  tremendous  efforts.  But  apart  from  these 
incidents  of  conflict  and  carnage,  there  are  other  reasons  for 
interest  in  the  place.  To  it  have  come,  since  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, pilgrims  from  all  Christian  lands  to  kneel  in  heartfelt 
prayer  and  weep  at  thought  of  the  price  paid  for  their  redemp- 
tion. These  prayers  and  tears  of  the  sincere  in  heart  make 
this  "holy  ground"  which  all  the  deception  and  corruption 
of  designing  priests  cannot  entirely  desecrate. 

In  treating  of  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  the  question 
of  location  must  necessarily  arise.  In  this  discussion  personal 
feelings  should  have  no  part,  facts  and  inferences  from  them 
should  be  our  only  arguments. 

From  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  until  the  destruction  of  the 
city  by  Titus  the  places  of  the  cross  and  the  tomb  were  well 
known,  at  least  to  those  who  had  accepted  Jesus  as  the  Mes- 
siah. When  the  city  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans  every 
building  of  importance  was  destroyed  and  every  revered  place 
altered.  During  the  siege  that  preceded  the  overthrow  the 
Christians  escaped  to  Pella  across  the  Jordan.  The  Jews  who 
continued  in  the  city,  while  they  knew  the  site  of  Calvary  as 
well  as  the  Christians  who  had  departed,  had  no  regard  for  it. 
The  Christians  who  returned  would  hardly  recognize  the  fallen 
city  as  the  one  they  had  left ;  the  heel  of  the  destroyer  had 
stamped  out  of  it  all  semblance  of  its  former  glory.  For  sixty 
years  it  lay  in  ruins  so  complete  that  it  is  doubtful  if  there  was 
a  single  house  that  could  be  used  as  a  residence ;  during  these 
years  its  history  is  a  blank.  When  the  Christians  returned 
there  is  no  record  of  their  having  sought  out  Calvary,  or  the 
tomb,  or  that  they  considered  these  sites  as  in  any  way  to  be 
preferred  ;  there  is  nothing  in  the  writings  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment enjoining  Christians  to  visit  or  to  especially  esteem  these 
as  holy  places.  In  the  absence  of  any  record,  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  miraculous  account  of  the  recovery  of  the 
tomb  and  the  "  invention  of  the  cross,"  the  only  reasonable 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  175 

belief  is  that  these  sites,  now  so  reverenced,  were  absolutely 
forgotten. 

Though  their  city  was  in  heaps  of  ruins  the  Jews  were  not 
yet  completely  subdued.  The  national  spirit  would  flame  out 
on  occasions  and  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Trajan  was  marked 
by  several  serious  insurrections  on  the  part  of  his  Hebrew  sub- 
jects. Trajan's  successor,  Hadrian,  determined  to  have  a 
more  peaceful  reign  and  immediately  set  about  devising  means 
to  render  the  Jews  incapable  of  revolt.  One  of  his  plans,  and 
one  which  he  carried  out,  was  to  rebuild  Jerusalem  and  by 
making  it  a  thoroughly  pagan  city  destroy  every  vestige  of  its 
former  religious  preeminence.  It  would  likewise  form  a  superior 
military  centre,  which,  garrisoned  by  Roman  troops,  would 
keep  this  whole  country  in  subjection  and  quell  an  insurrec- 
tion on  the  first  evidence  of  its  outbreak.  This  reconstruction 
took  place  between  120  and  136  a.  d.,  and  when  completed 
bore  no  resemblance  to  the  former  city.  Out  of  the  ruins  of 
the  Hebrew  city  Jerusalem  rose  the  Roman  city  ^Elia  Capito- 
lina.  Where  the  magnificent  temple  of  the  living  God  had 
stood,  rose  another  dedicated  to  the  Roman  Jupiter;  and 
many  other  buildings  in  honor  of  various  gods  and  goddesses 
of  the  Roman  pantheon  were  erected.  There  seems  to  be  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Church 
of  the  Sepulchre  a  temple  to  Venus  was  built.  Those  who 
seek  to  prove  that  the  present  church  is  correctly  located  as- 
sert that  Hadrian  chose  this  as  a  site  for  the  Venus  temple  be- 
cause it  was  the  most  sacred  spot  to  the  Christians,  and  he 
thought  thus  to  dishonor  it  and  them.  Hadrian  is  said  to 
have  covered  the  rock  containing  the  tomb  with  earth ;  this 
made  surface  was  then  paved  and  the  temple  erected. 

The  objection  to  such  an  assertion  is  that  there  is  no  record 
that  the  Christians  at  that  time  had  any  special  regard  for  this 
place  or  that  they  considered  it  as  the  tomb  of  their  Lord. 
The  first  writer  mentioning  this  is  Eusebius,  who  in  an  account 
written  not  earlier  than  325   a.  d.,   narrates  the  building  of 


176  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Constantine's  Church.  This  Church  was  located  on  the  site 
of  Hadrian's  temple  in  the  belief  that  that  temple  covered  the 
place  of  Christ's  entombment, — a  belief  for  which  there  was 
neither  history  nor  tradition.  The  whole  story  of  Hadrian's 
attempted  desecration  of  this  place  is  at  least  questionable. 
Such  a  temple  as  a  Roman  Emperor  would  erect  in  honor  of 
Venus  would  hardly  be  located  on  a  mound  of  made  earth. 
If  Hadrian  really  had  in  mind  to  deprive  the  Christians  of 
this,  their  sacred  place,  assuming  that  they  so  regarded  it,  it 
would  have  been  easier  and  far  more  effective  to  destroy  utterly 
the  tumulus  and  its  rock  tomb.  Labor  in  those  days  was  too 
cheap  to  make  such  a  piece  of  work  serious.  In  a  short  time 
every  vestige  of  the  sacred  rock  would  have  been  forever  de- 
stroyed. This  would  have  been  equally  effective  in  illustrating 
his  contempt  and  would  have  afforded  a  much  better  founda- 
tion for  his  new  structure. 

When  the  Emperor  Constantine  succeeded  in  making  him- 
self master  of  the  eastern  world  he  began  very  materially  to 
favor  the  Christians.  After  his  vision  of  the  Cross  and  his  de- 
feat of  Maxentius,  in  312,  the  Cross  was  made  the  standard  of 
his  army.  In  thankfulness  for  his  continued  victories,  edicts 
compensating  the  Christians  for  their  losses  were  issued. 
Among  other  deeds  manifesting  his  appreciation  of  the  divine 
favor  was  his  effort  to  recover  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Eusebius 
wishes  to  convey  the  impression  that  in  this  the  Emperor  was 
led  by  divine  direction  given  long  before  he  was  able  to  follow 
it.  It  may  seem  a  trifle  presumptuous  to  question  the  asser- 
tions of  one  who  wrote  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  ;  but  Eu- 
sebius did  allow  his  personal  prejudices  to  affect  his  pen,  and 
what  we  know  of  the  life  of  this  royal  patron  of  Christianity 
gives  good  reason  for  doubting  that  he  followed  divine  im- 
pulses even  if  he  ever  had  any.  Biographers  of  royal  person- 
ages are  in  the  habit  of  ascribing  to  their  subjects  virtues 
which  were  never  illustrated  in  their  lives.  But  granting  that 
Eusebius  was  not  too  eager  to  laud  his  subject  it  is  not  unlikely 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  177 

that  Macarius,  then  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  used  his  position  as 
bishop  to  increase  the  importance  of  his  see.  His  great  op- 
portunity arose  when  the  Emperor  became  interested  in  Chris- 
tianity and  favorable  to  it.  The  plan  to  recover  the  sepulchre 
and  erect  a  Church  over  it  could  easily  be  carried  out  if  once 
the  sympathies  and  power  of  Constantine  could  be  enlisted ; 
this  was  done,  the  result  hoped  for  followed,  and  in  336  the 
Church  was  dedicated. 

Succeeding  writers  are  not  so  loud  as  Eusebius  in  their 
praises  of  the  part  played  by  Constantine  in  this  recovery.  In 
fact  they  rather  give  him  a  secondary  part  in  the  affair  and  as- 
sign the  first  place  to  the  royal  mother,  Helena.  They  were 
not  so  closely  associated  with  the  life  and  times  of  the 
Emperor  as  was  Eusebius  and  their  testimony  may,  for  this  very 
reason,  be  less  open  to  suspicion.  Nevertheless,  we  may  accept 
as  absolutely  correct  all  that  Eusebius  says  about  this  recovery 
and  we  are  still  a  long  way  from  satisfactory  proof  that 
Hadrian's  temple  to  Venus  was  on  the  site  of  the  sepulchre  of 
our  Lord. 

Whether  the  localities  were  identical  or  not  here  Constan- 
tine's  Church  was  built.  In  letters  which  he  caused  to  be 
written  to  the  governors  of  Eastern  provinces,  these  governors 
were  ordered  to  assist  in  the  work  of  recovery  and  reconstruc- 
tion. In  his  letter  to  Bishop  Macarius,  written  in  326,  and 
given  at  length  by  Eusebius,  the  Emperor  expresses  "  his  joy 
and  gratitude  and  admiration,"  at  the  miraculous  recovery  and 
asserts  his  determination  to  ornament  "the  token  of  our 
Saviour's  most  holy  passion"  with  magnificent  buildings. 
The  Bishop  is  enjoined  to  provide  the  necessary  materials  and 
workmen,  and  to  inform  him  what  may  be  necessary  in  the 
way  of  columns  and  marbles.  The  sacred  cave  was  first  cared 
for  and  was  ornamented  with  marble  slabs  and  finely  wrought 
columns.  Around  it  was  a  large  free  space,  paved  with 
polished  stones  and  open  to  the  sky.  Cloisters,  or  porticos, 
surrounded  this  space  on  three  sides,  and  on  the  fourth  side, 


178  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

opposite  to  the  cave,  Was  the  basilica  which  Eusebius  thus  de- 
scribes :  It  was  "  an  admirable  work,  raised  to  a  mighty  ele- 
vation and  extensive  in  length  and  breadth.  Its  interior  was 
lined  with  many  colored  marbles,  and  the  outer  surface  of  its 
walls  decorated  with  polished  and  closely-jointed  masonry,  as 
handsome  as  marble  itself.  The  roof  with  its  chambers  was 
covered  with  lead  to  protect  it  from  the  winter  rains.  The 
inner  roof  was  decorated  with  sculptured  panels  and  extended 
like  a  vast  sea  over  the  whole  basilica ;  and  being  gilt  with 
the  purest  gold  caused  the  entire  building  to  shine  as  if  with 
rays  of  light  "   (Professor  Willis'  translation). 

Other  buildings  grew  up  around  this  main  one,  just  how 
many  or  how  extensive  cannot  be  told.  Eusebius  speaks  of  the 
entire  group  as  the  "  Martyrium  of  the  Resurrection,"  but  his 
detailed  description  of  them  cannot  be  followed.  There  being 
no  mention  of  Calvary  made  by  this  early  writer  it  is  altogether 
probable  that  the  tumulus  now  so-called  was  not  so  considered 
by  him.  To  argue  that  the  very  silence  of  Eusebius  is  express- 
ive of  the  general  belief,  and  that  as  nobody  doubted  it,  there 
was  no  reason  for  his  mentioning  it,  is  rather  a  begging  of  the 
question.  The  Bordeaux  Pilgrim  who  visited  Jerusalem  in 
333  a.  D.  is  the  first  one  to  mention  this  Golgotha.  It  was 
regarded  by  him  as  the  real  Calvary.  His  mention  of  the 
place  makes  the  silence  of  Eusebius  hard  to  understand,  unless 
indeed,  he  expressed  but  his  own  opinion.  A  few  years  after 
this,  or  about  the  year  350,  St.  Cyril,  who  was  ordained 
Bishop  of  Jerusalem  in  335,  makes  frequent  mention  of  this  as 
Calvary.  From  this  time  on  the  acceptance  is  universal  and 
simply  shows  how  quickly  the  "  invention  "  grew  in  favor  and 
how  subject  the  common  people  were  to  ecclesiastical  power. 

For  two  hundred  and  eighty  years  the  Church  of  Constan- 
tine  stood  and  was  the  pious  resort  of  as  many  pilgrims  as 
could  reach  it,  while  kings  and  prelates  added  to  its  possessions 
as  they  were  able  and  inclined.  Then  it  fell  before  the  devas- 
tating Persian,  Chosroes  II.,   in  614,  and  was  consumed  by 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  179 

fire.  In  this  sorry  condition  it  was  not  allowed  long  to  remain. 
Collections  made  in  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world  poured 
in,  and  another  structure  rose  on  the  ashes  of  the  former.  The 
new  building  was  not  equal  in  grandeur  to  its  predecessor, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  no  royal  treasuries  were  at  the  disposals 
of  the  builders.  The  plan  of  structure  was  altered  in  order  to 
permit  the  embracing  of  the  additional  holy  places  that  had 
been  "invented."  The  honor  of  being  the  promoter  of  this 
second  edifice  is  due  to  Modestus,  the  superior  of  the  monastery 
of  Theodosius.  It  lacked  the  symmetry  of  the  one  complete 
Church  of  Constantine  and  appears,  judging  from  the  account 
of  Eutychius  written  in  the  tenth  century,  to  have  been  three 
Churches  not  architecturally  connected.  This  writer  says  that 
Theodosius  "  constructed  the  Churches  of  the  Resurrection,  of 
the  Sepulchre,  of  the  Calvary  and  of  St.  Constantine."  The 
Sepulchre  Church  was  included  within  that  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion. 

This  group  of  Churches  remained  uninjured  for  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  years.  Jerusalem  succumbed  in  637  to  the 
armies  of  Omar  and  remained  for  a  time  in  Moslem  hands. 
Omar  and  his  immediate  successors  were  not  iconoclasts,  and 
did  little  or  no  injury  to  any  Christian  buildings.  It  was  not 
until  the  caliphate  of  Maez,  about  969,  that  the  order  was 
given  to  destroy  the  Holy  Sepulchre  structure.  The  order  was 
at  least  partially  carried  out,  though  it  was  not  until  the  reign 
of  the  mad  caliph  Hakem,  in  1010,  that  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion was  completed.  Then  the  Church  was  utterly  destroyed. 
But  the  age  of  miracles  had  not  passed ;  or  perhaps  we  should 
say  the  age  when  it  was  thought  necessary  to  strengthen  or  in- 
spire faith  by  miracles,  had  not  passed ;  contemporary  chron- 
iclers inform  us  that  all  the  mad  caliph's  attempts  to  destroy 
the  sepulchre  itself  were  unavailing.  Iron  and  fire  were  tried 
against  the  holy  walls,  but  with  no  visible  effect. 

For  thirty  years  the  place  was  a  scene  of  desolation — an  evi- 
dence of  the  triumph  of  the  Moslem  and  the  humiliation  of 


180  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  Christian.  In  1040  Monomachus,  then  emperor,  gave  per- 
mission, or  rather  concluded  the  negotiations  which  resulted 
in  permission  being  granted  to  the  Patriarch  Nicephorus  to  re- 
build the  Church.  Acting  on  this  permission,  the  patriarch 
completed  within  eight  years  a  structure  not  so  grand  as  that 
of  the  first  Constantine,  though  Monomachus,  whose  prenomen 
was  also  Constantine,  assisted  with  artificers  and  funds.  This 
was  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre  which  was  standing  when  the 
Crusaders  entered  and  took  possession  of  Jerusalem  in  1099. 
Using  the  work  of  Nicephorus  as  a  nucleus  these  Crusaders,  who 
were  really  wonderful  builders,  enlarged  and  beautified  it. 
Ssewolf,  who  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land  in  1102,  is 
the  best  authority  for  the  condition  of  the  Church  before  the 
additions  and  improvements  of  the  Crusaders. 

When  the  Christian  occupation  ceased  after  the  conquest  of 
the  land  and  city  by  Saladin,  the  Church  as  left  by  the  Cru- 
saders, was  allowed  to  remain  unharmed,  and  it  was  that 
structure  which  fell  in  the  great  fire  in  September  of  1808. 
For  six  centuries  pilgrims  had  visited  the  place  and  made  it 
the  object  of  veneration  and  the  recipient  of  their  gifts.  In 
spite  of  Mohammedan  oppression,  which  was  always  more  or 
less  severe,  the  number  of  European  Christians  who  made  this 
pilgrimage  was  by  no  means  small.  The  spirit  which  inspired 
the  Crusaders  never  wholly  died  out,  nor  is  it  yet  dead. 

The  fire  of  1808  consumed  many  of  the  most  sacred  relics 
enclosed  in  the  Church.  Marble  columns  of  great  age  and 
beauty  crumbled  in  the  flames.  The  rich  hangings  and  pic- 
tures were  burned,  along  with  lamps  and  chandeliers  and  other 
ornaments  in  silver  and  gold.  The  lead  with  which  the  great 
dome  was  lined  melted  and  poured  down  in  streams.  It  was 
a  great  blow  to  the  believers  in  the  sacredness  of  the  place,  and 
yet  there  were  some  compensations,  for  the  limestone  tomb 
which  had  before  come  through  fires  and  devastations  un- 
scathed, proved  itself  superior  to  this  tremendous  conflagration. 
So  at  least  the  faithful  are  told  to  believe,  and  so  they  do  be- 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  181 

lieve ;  only  unbelievers  doubt  it,  and  they  only  have  any  de- 
sire to  examine  and  see  if  behind  the  marble  casings  any  lime- 
stone still  exists.  It  would  be  a  very  easy  matter  to  convince 
the  doubters  by  removing  one  of  the  marble  slabs,  but  this  is 
just  what  the  priestly  guardians  will  not  permit.  You  must  be- 
lieve the  miracle  !  This  fire  began  in  the  Armenian  chapel ; 
passed  thence  to  the  main  rotunda,  then  to  the  Greek  choir 
and  to  the  chapels  on  Calvary.  In  five  hours  the  great  cupola 
fell  with  a  crash  upon  the  chapel  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  crush- 
ing in  its  fall  the  columns  which  supported  this  chapel  and 
ruining  the  ornamental  columns  that  stood  around  it. 

Three  accounts  of  this  fire  and  its  ravages  are  in  existence, 
one  made  by  the  Greeks,  another  by  the  Latins  and  the  third 
by  a  pilgrim  named  De  Geramb.  They  agree  generally,  but 
when  they  particularize  it  is  seen  that  each  endeavors  to  prove 
that  the  part  of  the  Church  in  which  its  author  was  interested 
was  the  part  most  miraculously  preserved,  while  the  parts  be- 
longing to  other  faiths  were  the  objects  of  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure. 

Christian  enthusiasm  was  again  aroused  to  raise  the  means 
necessary  to  replace  the  structure  and  its  attractions.  Permis- 
sion by  special  firman  had  to  be  procured  from  the  Sublime 
Porte,  and  architectural  plans  made.  An  architect  from 
Mitylene,  Commenes  by  name,  was  employed  and  work  be- 
gun. Then  serious  disputes  arose  between  the  various  inter- 
ested sects  as  to  what  portion  of  the  new  Church  should  be- 
long to  each.  Further  delay  was  caused  by  the  opposition  of 
the  Moslems  who  wished  to  prevent  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing. Bribes  appeased  these  obstructionists.  In  spite  of  all 
these  difficulties  the  new  structure  was  completed  and  conse- 
crated on  the  nth  of  September,  1810,  less  than  two  years 
after  the  fire.  The  whole  expense  connected  with  the  work 
amounted  to  nearly  three  millions  of  dollars,  of  which  a  third 
was  eaten  up  by  lawsuits  and  by  bribes  paid  to  Mohammedan 
officials. 


182  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

This  is  the  Church  that  stands  to-day.  How  much  of  it  is 
composed  of  materials  used  in  former  structures  that  stood  on 
the  same  site  could  only  be  discovered  by  an  expert  who  had 
abundance  of  time  and  full  permission  to  make  a  careful  ex- 
amination. Even  the  opinion  of  such  an  one  would  not  be 
allowed  to  go  unchallenged ;  other  experts  would  surely  dis- 
agree with  him — the  more  experts,  the  more  conclusions,  and 
archaeological  experts  are  in  this  respect  not  exceptional. 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  very  considerable  remains  of 
the  more  ancient  structures  are  still  here,  and  some  of  them 
yet  in  the  original  positions  in  which  they  were  placed. 

The  church  fronts  on  an  open  court  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  buildings.  An  arched  street  runs  eastward  from  Christian 
street,  makes  a  turn  at  right  angles  to  the  north,  then  to  the 
east  and  passes  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  court.  It  is  a 
public  street  for  all  but  Jews  and  for  them  so  long  as  they  can 
conceal  the  fact  that  they  are  Jews,  not  an  easy  thing  for  a 
Jerusalem  Jew  to  do,  as  he  wears  conspicuously  the  marks  of 
his  race  and  religion.  The  Christians  claim  control  of  this 
thoroughfare  and  it  is  they  who  make  it  dangerous  for  any 
Hebrew  to  pass  along  it.  As  late  as  April,  1894,  a  strange 
Israelite,  unacquainted  with  the  unwritten  law  forbidding  him 
to  walk  here,  was  set  upon  by  several  Greek  Christians  and, 
but  for  the  timely  interference  of  some  soldiers  of  the  Sultan, 
would  have  been  killed ;  as  it  was  he  was  severely  injured. 
Nothing  was  ever  done  to  punish  his  assailants. 

A  motley  crowd  of  beggars  and  venders  of  tawdry  religious 
wares  lines  this  street.  The  court  itself  has  been  appropriated 
by  these  small  merchants,  who,  about  Easter  time  when  the  city 
is  thronged  with  pilgrims,  do  a  good  business  in  crosses,  rosaries 
and  bits  of  holy  relics.  Their  jangling  voices,  as  they  urge 
some  reluctant  pilgrim  to  purchase,  do  not  add  to  the  sanctity 
of  the  place.  They  are  impostors  who  deserve  the  treatment 
accorded  by  Christ  to  their  predecessors  who  made  his  Father's 
house  a  den  of  thieves.     This  court  is  paved  with  large  slabs 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  183 

of  light  red  limestone.  It  was  once  surrounded  by  pillars  and 
was  in  the  nature  of  a  porch.  Some  of  the  bases  of  these 
columns  are  still  in  situ  and  are  pieces  of  Crusader  work.  As 
one  enters  this  court,  or  quadrangle  from  the  west  and  faces 
north  he  will  have  on  his  left  the  Greek  Chapel  of  St.  James, 
next  to  it  that  of  Mary  Magdalene,  then  that  of  the  Forty 
Martyrs.  On  his  right,  making  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
court,  are  the  Armenian  and  Coptic  Chapels  and  that  of  St. 
Mary  of  Egypt.  This  Mary  was  driven  away  from  the  door 
of  the  Church  in  374  by  some  unknown  power  and  on  invok- 
ing the  image  of  the  Virgin  secured  admission.  The  Chapel 
of  St.  James,  on  the  west  side,  commemorates  the  brother  of 
Christ.  That  of  the  Forty  Martyrs  is  the  lowest  story  of  the 
bell  tower  and  was  formerly  the  monastery  of  the  Trinity 
wherein  were  buried  the  patriarchs  of  Jerusalem.  Only  three 
stories  of  the  bell  tower  are  now  standing.  That  it  was  several 
stories  higher  is  known  from  certain  old  pictures. 

The  south  facade  of  the  church  proper  exhibits  some  fine 
Gothic  work.  The  main  entrance  is  here  and  formerly  con- 
sisted of  two  large  portals,  one  of  which  is  now  effectively 
closed  by  masonry.  Over  the  portals  are  large  pointed  arches. 
Ancient  marble  columns  with  Byzantine  capitals  and  antique 
pedestals  adjoin  the  doors.  Over  the  left  portal  are  bas-reliefs 
illustrating  New  Testament  scenes,  while  over  the  right  portal 
are  vines,  and  flowers  and  fruits  in  the  midst  of  which  are 
naked  figures  and  birds,  the  whole  presenting  an  allegory  of 
the  contest  between  good  and  evil. 

On  entering  the  church  the  first  thing  that  will  attract  the 
attention  of  the  observing  visitor  is  the  Moslem  guard  which 
sits  in  a  small  elevated  room  to  the  immediate  left.  For  this 
Christian  Church  has  a  Moslem  guard  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep 
the  peace  between  the  various  sects  who  profess  belief  in  the 
Prince  of  Peace.  This  guard  is  composed  of  members  of  the 
oldest  Mohammedan  family  in  the  city.  They  keep  the  keys 
of  the  main  doors  and  open  and  close  them  when  required  by 


184  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  Greek,  Latin  or  Armenian  Church  officials.  As  each  open- 
ing is  paid  for  by  the  one  desiring  it  quite  a  little  revenue  ac- 
crues. Formerly  each  person,  pilgrim  or  visitor,  paid  an  ad- 
mission fee  of  one  para — about  an  eighth  of  a  cent.  Coffee 
and  cigarettes  or  narghilis  are  freely  used  by  these  custodians. 
The  coffee  is  provided  by  that  church  party  which  has  requested 
the  opening  and  is  made  on  a  small  earthen  brazier  just  inside 
the  door. 

A  great  deal  has  been  said  and  written  against  the  persons 
constituting  this  guard  for  their  disrespect  to  the  place.  But 
the  truth  is,  they  are  no  more  disrespectful  than  one  should 
expect  them  to  be,  judging  from  the  example  set  by  many  of 
the  Christian  priests.  At  the  time  of  the  unholy  exhibition  of 
the  Holy  Fire  this  civil  guard  is  increased  by  several  hundred 
soldiers  who  line  up  around  the  inside  of  the  church  to  keep 
the  crowds  in  order  and  quell  the  disturbances  that  nearly  al- 
ways arise  between  the  sects.  With  such  a  spectacle  as  is 
here  continually  given  of  "how  these  Christians  love  one  an- 
other "  the  reason  is  very  apparent  why  they  have  had  so  little 
success  in  winning  the  Jew  or  Moslem  to  belief  in  the  religion 
of  Jesus.  It  is  a  sickening  fact  that  Moslem  brute  force  must 
compel  Christians  to  exercise,  not  charity  toward  each  other, 
but  common  decency  and  decorum.  But  it  is  a  fact,  neverthe- 
less, and  will  remain  apparent  to  all,  so  long  as  priestcraft 
takes  the  place  of  New  Testament  Christianity  and  superstition 
supplants  religion. 

To  read  a  detailed  account  of  all  the  parts  of  this  church  and 
the  adjacent  more  or  less  sacred  structures  would  be  confusing 
and  uninteresting.  Latin,  Greek,  Armenian,  Syrian,  Coptic 
and  Abyssinian,  each  has  his  specially  holy  places.  What  mat- 
ters it  that  the  names  and  locations  of  most  of  these  have  been 
several  times  changed  ?  What  difference  that  some  of  the 
claims  made  for  them  are  preposterous  in  the  extreme  and  so 
ridiculously  in  error  that  only  intentional  fraud  will  dare  assert 
and  only  dense  ignorance  will  accept  them  ?     The  patriarchs 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  185 

and  priests  of  these  various  faiths  are  by  no  means  all  ignorant 
men.  They  have  some  motives  for  their  assertions  about  these 
places.  To  call  these  motives  religious  is  to  defame  religion, 
which  can  have  no  part  in  a  lie.  Some  have  tried  to  soften 
the  hard  facts  by  calling  these  priestly  impositions  "pious 
frauds."  When  a  lie  may  be  justly  called  righteous  a  fraud 
may  properly  be  termed  pious,  but  until  that  time  a  religious 
fraud  can  be  nothing  but  impious. 

A  few  steps  inside  and  directly  in  line  with  the  main  door 
is  the  "Stone  of  Unction,"  on  which  the  body  of  the  Lord 
was  anointed  in  preparation  for  burial.  Many  times  have  I 
watched  in  admiration  the  devotion  of  Russian  pilgrims,  the 
privilege  of  whose  life  it  has  been  to  reach  this  sacred  en- 
closure. The  Stone  of  Unction  being  the  first  of  the  holy 
things  to  which  they  come  gets  a  generous  share  of  reverential 
prostrations  and  fervent  kisses.  They  do  not  know  that  the 
stone  they  see  and  bow  over  is  not  even  the  reputed  Stone  of 
Anointing.  The  latter  is  covered  and  entirely  concealed  from 
view  by  a  red  limestone  slab.  This  covering  was  necessary 
because  the  real  stone  was  being  worn  away  by  the  hands  and 
lips  of  the  worshippers.  The  fact  that  pilgrims  about  the  time 
of  their  departure  from  the  Holy  City  came  to  this  stone  to 
measure  the  shrouds  in  which  they  hoped  to  be  buried  will 
account  for  some  of  the  wear.  This  practice  is  still  in  vogue ; 
they  now  take  the  measure  of  the  upper  stone.  Nor  are  they 
content  to  trust  the  word  of  a  dealer  in  linen  or  cotton  or  de- 
pend upon  a  rule  or  tape  measure ;  they  bring  the  roll  of  goods, 
spread  it  out  on  the  stone  and  then  and  there  cut  it  off. 

Over  this  place  of  worship  are  suspended  eight  handsome 
lamps  belonging  to  the  Armenians,  Copts,  Greeks  and  Latins; 
and  large  candelabra  surround  it.  Some  unbelievers  doubt  the 
genuineness  of  this  real  stone  from  the  fact  that  the  stone  itself 
has  been  changed,  and  the  correctness  of  its  location  from  the 
fact  that  it  has  several  times  altered  its  position.  Different 
religious  bodies  have  at  different  times  possessed  it :  the  Copts 


186  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

owned  it  in  the  fifteenth  century,  the  Gregorians  in  the  six- 
teenth ;  from  the  Gregorians  the  Latins,  for  the  consideration 
of  5,000  piasters  (about  $450.00),  procured  the  right  to  burn 
candles  over  it ;  it  is  now  Greek  property. 

The  stone  serves  other  purposes.  Women  place  the  pictures 
of  absent  loved  ones  upon  it  and  pray  over  them ;  pilgrims  lay 
their  rosaries  there  that  these  may  partake  of  its  virtue ;  moth- 
ers bring  their  babies  and  think  they  do  a  holy  act,  beneficial 
to  the  little  ones,  by  placing  them  on  it  and  breathing  a  prayer 
to  God  or  some  favorite  saint. 

Toward  the  right  from  the  stone  a  small  door  leads  into  the 
Chapel  of  Adam.  Here  our  worthy  progenitor,  when  his 
struggle  with  adverse  nature  was  over,  rested  from  his  labors. 
According  to  a  tradition,  when  the  blood  and  water  flowed 
from  the  side  of  the  Saviour,  it  came  down  through  the  rock, 
touched  the  inanimate  dust  and  Adam  came  to  life  again. 
This  tradition  accounts  for  the  placing  of  a  skull  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross. 

The  whole  church  and  all  its  separate  chapels  are  associated 
with  these  ridiculous  stories.  A  chapter  giving  them  all  would 
be  curious  but  unprofitable  reading.  A  recent  American 
visitor  having  gone  the  rounds  of  the  Church,  examined  its  al- 
leged attractions  and  listened  to  the  nonsense  of  his  guide,  re- 
marked as  he  came  out,  "That  is  the  completest  museum  of 
religious  horrors  I  know  anything  about."  And  his  remark 
was  true.  There  is  certainly  nothing  that  can  in  any  way 
compete  with  it.  You  are  seriously  shown  the  exact  centre  of 
the  earth,  the  very  spot  where  the  Creator  procured  the  dust 
to  make  the  first  man ;  the  place  where  Abraham  was  about  to 
sacrifice  Isaac  and  where  the  ram  that  became  the  real  sacrifice 
was  caught  in  the  bushes ;  a  marble  slab  on  which  the  tears  of 
the  Virgin  fell  when  she  saw  her  divine  Son  die,  each  tear 
making  a  deep  imprint  and  all  together  forming  a  cross.  The 
majority  of  travellers  who  see  and  hear  all  this  are  usually  con- 
tent with  one  visit ;  in  some  it  works  sadness,  in  others  dis- 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  187 

gust.  Whatever  previous  opinion  they  may  have  had  as  to  the 
correctness  of  the  church's  location,  many  go  away  with  a 
prejudice  against  it,  really  glad  that  there  is  a  reasonable  doubt 
about  it,  and  hoping  that  some  discovery  will  warrant  a  settled 
belief  that  it  does  not  cover  the  sites  of  the  real  Calvary  and 
the  real  sepulchre. 

The  Calvary  here  shown  is  on  an  elevation  a  little  less  than 
fifteen  feet  above  the  level  of  the  entrance  to  the  church.  It 
is  reached  from  this  entrance  by  two  flights  of  stone  steps. 
There  are  two  small  chapels  each  richly  ornamented  with 
lamps  and  candelabra,  images  and  pictures.  The  one  on  the 
left,  as  one  faces  the  east,  is  the  Chapel  of  the  Raising  of  the 
Cross.  This  is  Greek  property  and  is  adorned  in  characteristic 
Greek  fashion,  with  showy  artificial  flowers,  brilliantly  colored 
figures  and  faces.  Its  chief  ornamental  attraction  is  a  large 
representation  of  Christ  suspended  on  the  Cross.  This  is  done 
in  silver  and  gilt.  Its  other  attractions  are  those  coming  to  it 
through  the  tradition  that  it  is  the  place  where  the  Cross  was 
erected  on  the  day  of  crucifixion. 

Under  the  altar  in  the  east  apse  is  a  circular  opening  faced 
with  silver  where  the  cross  was  placed  in  the  rock ;  five  feet 
from  each  side  of  this  according  to  mediaeval  tradition  stood 
the  crosses  on  which  the  thieves  were  hanged.  A  little  less 
than  five  feet  to  the  right  of  where  Christ's  cross  stood  is  a 
narrow  metal  slab  which  can  be  pushed  aside  if  one  wishes  to 
see  where  "the  rocks  were  rent."  There  is  a  cleft  in  the 
rock  and  you  are  seriously  told  that  it  reaches  clear  to  the 
centre,  of  the  earth.  As  there  is  no  way  to  disprove  the  state- 
ment without  going  to  considerable  trouble,  most  people  have 
preferred  to  reserve  their  opinion ;  nor  is  it  always  safe  here 
to  express  audibly  what  one  thinks. 

Just  a  few  feet  further  to  the  right  is  the  altar  of  the  Stabat. 
This  forms  the  thirteenth  station  of  the  Via  Dolorosa  and  is 
where  the  Virgin  received  the  body  of  her  Son  after  it  was  let 
down  from  the  cross.     Just  above  this  altar  is  an  image  of 


188  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Mary  hung  around  with  gold  and  precious  stones,  the  offerings 
of  devout  Catholics  who  have  thought  by  these  to  win  her 
favor.  This  is  Latin  property.  Just  adjoining  this  on  the 
south  is  the  Latin  Chapel  of  the  Nailing  to  the  Cross.  It  is 
more  simply  and  hence  more  appropriately  adorned.  Over  its 
altar  is  a  representation  of  the  act  of  crucifixion,  before  which 
candles  are  continually  burning.  Near  the  centre  the  place 
of  the  actual  nailing  is  indicated  by  some  pieces  of  marble 
fitted  into  the  floor.  This  chapel  is  usually  very  dark  and  in 
order  to  see  its  main  attraction  visitors  must  have  a  good 
supply  of  candles.  This  attraction  is  a  very  fine  picture  show- 
ing Mary  holding  in  her  lap  the  head  of  the  dead  Christ. 
This  is  considered  the  finest  picture  in  the  whole  church  and 
deserves  a  much  better  location  than  it  has.  The  light  is 
never  sufficient  to  give  one  a  satisfactory  view  of  it.  The  face 
of  the  Virgin  Mother  is  most  expressive,  while  that  of  Christ 
is  one  of  the  very  few  artist's  conceptions  of  the  Divine 
countenance  that  does  not  make  an  unpleasant  impression.  It 
is  a  manly  countenance  in  peaceful  repose.  There  is  in  it  no 
trace  of  the  previous  agony,  no  suggestion  of  defeat,  nothing 
but  the  expression  of  a  gentle,  manly  soul  who  has  finished  the 
work  that  was  given  Him  to  do.  The  mother  face  bending 
over  it  is  tender  with  a  great  sorrow ;  not  hopeless,  but  as  if  she 
were  in  the  presence  of  a  mystery  which  she  could  not  solve, 
and  which  still  could  not  overthrow  her  faith  in  her  divine 
Son  and  His  mission,  or  diminish  the  love  which  overflowed 
with  every  beat  of  her  heart. 

From  an  architectural  standpoint  the  Rotunda  of  the 
Sepulchre  is  the  finest  and  most  interesting  part  of  the  entire 
structure.  The  foundation  of  this  belonged  to  the  ancient 
structure.  The  dome  is  now  supported  by  eighteen  large 
pillars.  These  pillars  are  diverse  in  form  and  irregular  in  their 
location.  Some  are  round  and  have  pedestals  and  capitals, 
while  others  are  square  and  perfectly  simple.  In  fact  there  are 
three  styles  of  piers,  those  on  the  east  being  of  a  decidedly 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  189 

complex  character  and  sustaining  a  wide  arch  which  reaches 
to  the  triforium  of  the  church  and  forms  a  passage  leading 
from  the  floor  of  the  rotunda  to  the  choir.  This  choir  was  the 
work  of  the  Crusaders,  though  the  rotunda  was  erected  before 
their  day  by  Monomachus.  The  dome  is  sixty-five  feet  in 
diameter,  and  before  the  great  fire  in  1808  was  roofed  with 
cedar  which  had  been  gilded.  This  furnished  a  ready  fuel  to 
the  flames  which  were  very  fierce  in  their  destructiveness  to 
this  part  of  the  building.  The  present  rotunda  is  not  so  fine 
nor  so  large  in  diameter  as  its  predecessor,  for  in  the  repairs 
the  old  masonry  was  allowed  to  remain  and  was  encased  by 
the  new. 

The  dome  for  several  years  preceding  1868,  was  in  a  pre- 
carious condition  and  threatened  to  fall  in.  The  jealousy  be- 
tween the  sects  who  were  joint  owners  of  it  was  so  great  that 
they  could  not  come  to  an  amicable  agreement  as  to  the  terms 
on  which  it  was  to  be  repaired  ;  finally  an  international  con- 
ference was  held  in  which  Turkey,  France  and  Russia  were 
represented;  the  findings  of  this  council  were  followed,  and 
in  1868  the  repairs  were  made  with  the  result  now  to  be  seen. 
The  vault  of  the  dome  is  colored  a  sky  blue  which  forms  the 
background  for  numerous  gilt  stars.  From  the  ground-floor 
this  gives  rather  a  pleasing  effect.  Just  now  the  blue  and  gilt 
are  coming  off  and  the  vault  has  rather  a  shabby  appearance. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  it  can  be  repaired  without  resort  to  an- 
other international  committee  of  arbitration  ;  but  there  is  no 
promise  of  any  such  peaceful  settlement  in  the  present  feeling 
of  the  sects  for  each  other. 

In  the  centre  of  the  rotunda,  facing  the  east,  is  the  Chapel 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  most  revered  place  in  the  Chris- 
tian world.  The  whole  church  structure  is  sacred,  just  as  the 
whole  temple  was  sacred  to  the  Jew ;  but  this  spot  is  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  The  pilgrims  who  come  here  to  bow  in  holy  awe, 
to  murmur  their  earnest  prayers,  to  solemnly  and   sincerely 


190  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

make  upon  themselves  the  sign  of  the  cross,  believe  as  much 
in  the  sacredness  of  this  spot  as  any  Hebrew  ever  did  in  the 
sanctity  of  the  Most  Holy  place.  The  most  absolute  unbe- 
liever in  the  religion  that  these  people  profess,  the  most  posi- 
tive rejector  of  the  site  as  the  true  sepulchre  cannot  observe 
these  devoted  souls  without  a  feeling  of  respect  for  them  and 
of  something  very  akin  to  admiration  for  their  fealty  to  their 
convictions.  Such  devotion  as  they  manifest  and  such  tears 
as  they  shed  cannot  be  feigned  ;  to  them  all  is  real,  as  real  as 
if  they  had  seen  the  Divine  One  crucified  on  the  neighboring 
Calvary  and  laid  in  this  tomb.  How  abjectly  they  prostrate 
themselves  before  the  entrance  to  this  holy  place ;  how  sol- 
emnly they  enter  and  how  reverently,  as  though  this  were  the 
supreme  moment  of  a  privileged  life,  they  kiss  the  marble  slab 
above  the  reputed  place  where  their  God  was  buried  !  If  the 
present  Church  of  Christ,  irrespective  of  creed,  were  made  up 
of  men  and  women  possessed  of,  a  faith  like  this,  but  intelli- 
gently directed,  long  ago  would  "all  nations"  have  heard  the 
Gospel  of  Redemption  preached,  and  seen  it  lived. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Sepulchre  resembles  a  small  church.  It 
is  built  of  Santa  Croce  marble  and  looks  very  durable  with  its 
columns  and  pilasters.  In  shape  it  is  an  oblong  square  though 
it  has  not  always  had  this  form.  In  Crusader  time  it  was  cir- 
cular and  had  a  small  tower.  Later  on  it  was  described  as 
polygonal.  The  fire  destroyed  the  tower,  but  did  not  seri- 
ously damage  the  rest  of  the  chapel.  Nevertheless,  in  the 
reconstruction  of  the  totally  destroyed  portions  of  the  church, 
it  was  thought  best  to  rebuild  this.  It  is  now  twenty-six  feet 
long  and  seventeen  and  a  half  feet  wide.  Numerous  pictures 
are  hung  around  the  outside  of  the  chapel,  all  very  inferior  as 
works  of  art.  Nearly  every  available  spot  is  utilized  as  a  re- 
ceptacle for  candles  and  little  oil  lamps  of  many  colors.  Im- 
mense candelabra  stand  in  front  of  the  chapel  where  is 
an  antechamber  having  stone  benches  where  Oriental  Chris- 
tians sit  to  remove  their  shoes  before  entering. 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  191 

Going  "through  the  small  door  the  visitor  comes  first  to  the 
Chapel  of  the  Angels.  A  stone  set  on  a  small  box  elevated  on 
a  stand  is  pointed  out  as  the  veritable  stone  which  the  angels 
rolled  away  from  the  mouth  of  the  tomb.  The  Armenians  have 
a  stone  in  their  parish  church  on  Mount  Zion  for  which  they 
claim  a  similar  distinction.  A  doubt  as  to  the  genuineness  of 
either  could,  under  these  circumstances,  hardly  be  termed  her- 
esy. Greek,  Latin,  Armenian  and  Coptic  lamps  swing  from 
the  ceiling  and  add  to  the  heavy  odors  of  the  small  room.  The 
walls  of  this  chapel  are  very  thick  and  are  lined  with  marble. 
Two  large  circular  openings  pierce  the  sides,  one  on  the  north 
and  the  other  on  the  south  wall,  through  which  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  Saturday  preceding  Easter,  the  "holy  fire  "is 
passed  out  to  the  runners  and  to  the  assembled  thousands 
standing  as  near  as  possible  to  the  Sepulchre. 

From  the  Chapel  of  the  Angels  a  low  door,  necessitating 
considerable  stooping  as  one  passes  through  it,  leads  into  the 
little  Chapel  of  the  Sepulchre.  This,  the  chapel  proper,  is 
very  small,  being  only  six-and-a-half  feet  long  by  six  wide ; 
and  it  is  the  Holy  of  Holies  of  the  entire  structure.  It  is  said 
that  six  persons  can  be  accommodated  with  standing  room  in 
it  at  one  time,  though  I  should  not  care  to  be  one  of  the  six. 
When  the  chapel  is  open  for  visitors  a  priest  is  always  on 
guard  ;  no  vandalism  is  allowed  here.  On  the  north,  east  and 
west  walls  are  reliefs,  while  just  on  the  inside  of  the  door  can 
be  read  in  Greek  the  following  inscription  :  "Lord,  remem- 
ber thy  servant  the  royal  builder,  Kalfa  Komnenos  of  Mily- 
tene,  18 10."  On  the  right  of  the  entrance,  occupying  nearly 
one  half  of  the  floor  space  is  the  tomb.  It  is  five  feet  long, 
two  high  and  three  wide.  Swinging  from  the  ceiling  are 
forty-three  very  costly  lamps.  The  Latins,  Greeks  and  Arme- 
nians each  own  thirteen  of  these,  while  the  remaining  four  are 
Coptic  property.  The  tomb  is  covered  by  a  large  marble  slab 
which  is  often  used  as  an  altar,  for  here  every  day  in  the  year 
the  Mass  is  celebrated.     This  is,  we  are  told,  the  very  place 


192  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

where  the  Christ,  He  who  "brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light  in  the  Gospel,"  lay  in  the  embrace  of  death.  Those  who 
believe  in  the  tradition  claim  to  experience  a  peculiar  thrill 
when  they  lay  their  hand  upon  the  marble-covering  of  the 
tomb;   those  who  doubt  the  tradition  never  feel  the  thrill. 

Every  day  during  the  tourist  and  pilgrim  season  rosaries 
and  crucifixes  are  brought  here  and  laid  for  consecration  upon 
the  marble  slab.  The  attending  priest  pronounces  his  blessing 
upon  them  and  they  become  specially  holy.  Thousands  upon 
thousands  of  rosaries  and  crosses  are  thus  treated  every  year 
and  find  their  way  to  countries  and  homes  most  remote  from 
the  Holy  City.  In  April  of  1894  a  Catholic  priest  from  one 
of  the  large  inland  cities  of  Ohio,  purchased  fifteen  hundred 
rosaries,  had  them  all  blessed  in  this  way — one  for  every  mem- 
ber of  his  congregation  ;  he  was  a  wise  pastor  in  thus  showing 
no  favoritism.  Every  year,  also,  thousands  of  cards,  having 
on  them  pressed  flowers  of  the  Holy  Land,  are  treated  in  the 
same  way.  The  superscription  on  many  of  these  cards  an- 
nounces that  they  bear  flowers  from  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane, 
but  the  statement  cannot  be  always  true,  for  this  little  garden 
spot  does  not  grow  flowers  enough  to  supply  the  demand.  The 
only  way  to  know  positively  that  you  have  flowers  from  Geth- 
semane is  to  go  yourself  and  pluck  them ;  and  this  is  not  an 
easy  matter,  for  the  priestly  custodians  guard  their  charge 
with  jealous  care.  Nor  have  articles,  which  are  supposed  to 
have  been  laid  on  the  tomb  and  blessed,  been  always  so  hon- 
ored. And  what  does  it  matter  whether  they  have  or  not?  If 
contact  with  any  particular  place  makes  more  holy,  it  should 
suffice  that  the  thing  has  been  in  sacred  Jerusalem.  But  as 
residence  in  the  city  does  not  have  any  such  effect  upon  per- 
sons, it  is  not  probable  that  it  has  any  holier  action  upon  cards 
or  rosaries.  It  is  a  sort  of  idolatry — an  idolatry  which  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree  affects  us  all — that  this  locality  or  that  is 
more  sacred  than  some  other  and  transfers  its  sacredness  to 
thing  or  person  touched  by  it. 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  193 

Just  back  of  the  sepulchre  and  seemingly  a  part  of  it  is  a 
wretched  little  chapel  belonging  to  the  Coptic  Church,  and 
just  across  the  circular  aisle  that  surrounds  the  sepulchre  is  the 
Chapel  of  the  Syrians.  Neither  of  these  is  in  itself  deserving 
of  mention  and  they  are  only  here  mentioned  because  they  are 
in  line  with  a  small  recess  in  which  are  two  interesting  rock- 
cut  tombs.  Nor  are  these  tombs  interesting  in  themselves; 
they  are  important,  however,  in  that  they  prove  beyond  a 
doubt  that  this  part  of  the  church  was  once  without  the  walls. 
For  they  are  old  Jewish  tombs  and  we  know  that,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  royal  tombs,  none  were  ever  within  the  city. 
There  are  two  ways  of  accounting  for  the  existence  of  these. 
One  is  that  they  date  from  the  time  of  David  or  Solomon, 
were  without  the  north  wall  at  that  time,  and  when  the  Sec- 
ond Wall  was  built,  were  brought  within  the  city.  The  other 
and  more  recent  theory  supposes  the  First  Wall  to  have  in- 
cluded these  tombs  and  thus  makes  them  as  they  were  on 
the  slope  of  Zion,  none  other  than  the  remains  of  the  royal 
tombs  themselves.  Whatever  may  be  said  about  them  one 
thing  is  sure,  that  there  is  no  basis  for  the  sixteenth  century 
story  which  assigns  to  them  the  names  of  the  Tomb  of 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  of  Nicodemus,  who  came  to  Jesus  by 
night. 

Coming  out  from  the  Syrian  Chapel  into  the  rotunda,  again 
we  pass  through  an  antechamber  where  Christ  appeared  to 
Mary  on  the  first  Easter  morning,  and  enter  the  principal 
Chapel  of  the  Roman  Catholics.  A  fourteenth  century  tradi- 
tion, which  affirms  that  here  Christ  first  appeared  to  His  mother 
after  His  resurrection,  has  given  this  plainly  furnished  enclos- 
ure the  name  "the  Chapel  of  the  Apparition."  Its  special 
treasure  is  the  Column  of  Flagellation,  which  is  kept  in  a  cab- 
inet just  at  the  right  of  the  entrance.  The  column  cannot  be 
seen  except  during  one  day  in  the  year,  on  which  day  every 
pilgrim  in  the  city  kisses  it.  During  this  ordeal  two  Latin 
priests  guard  it  and  no  worshipper  is  allowed  to  remain  long 


194  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

before  the  sacred  relic.  When  each  one's  time  is  up  he  or  she 
is  rudely  pushed  along  to  make  room  for  others.  It  is  a  reli- 
gious act  on  the  part  of  the  pilgrims,  but  on  the  part  of  the 
priests  seemingly  a  purely  business  one,  which,  the  sooner  over 
the  better.  Ordinarily  the  stone  can  only  be  felt  with  a  stick 
about  two  feet  long,  which  is  provided  for  the  purpose.  Pil- 
grims enter  the  chapel  just  to  touch  the  column,  and  having 
put  the  stick  against  it,  kiss  it  and  make  upon  head  and  breast 
the  sign  of  the  cross ;  they  have  thus  performed  a  meritorious 
act  at  which  they  will  rejoice  on  their  return  to  their  native 
lands.  Different  pilgrims  at  different  times  have  given  de- 
scriptions of  this  column.  If  these  accounts  are  correct  it  is 
like  the  other  holy  stones  in  having  several  times  changed  its 
form  and  color  and  position. 

A  few  steps  to  the  left  from  this  chapel  entrance  bring  one  to 
the  Latin  Sacristy.  It  is  not  a  very  important  place  judging 
from  its  size  and  the  disorder  in  which  it  is  usually  kept ;  but 
it  contains  three  important  relics,  the  sword,  cross  and  spurs  of 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon — the  first  Christian  king  of  Jerusalem. 
These  relics  are  probably  genuine.  The  sword  is  a  long  straight 
blade  having  a  cruciform  handle ;  the  spurs  are  cruel  imple- 
ments eight  inches  in  length  with  barbs  long  and  sharp  enough 
to  inflict  absolute  torture.  When  this  church  was  the  place 
of  investiture  of  the  knights  of  St.  John,  this  sword  was  used 
in  the  ceremony  of  initiation.  It  is  now  employed  by  the 
Order  of  the  Sepulchre  in  inducting  new  members,  but  as  this 
order  is  a  small  one,  the  sword  is  not  often  required  for  this 
purpose. 

Coming  again  to  the  rotunda  one  can  enter  under  the  im- 
posing Arch  of  the  Emperor,  the  Catholican,  or  main  chapel 
of  the  Greeks.  This  forms  the  nave  of  the  Cathedral  and  is 
ornamented  in  almost  barbaric  style,  with  highly  colored  dec- 
orations, brazen  lamps  and  pictures.  It  surpasses  in  size  and 
ornamentation  the  chapels  of  any  of  the  other  sects,  but  gives 
the  impression  of  abundance  rather  than  taste ;  to  the  Greek 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  195 

or  Russian,  however,  this  wealth  of  gilding  and  paint  is  no 
doubt  very  impressive.  We  are  told  that  this  chapel  stands 
where  formerly  was  the  garden  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  If 
so,  I  should  much  prefer  that  the  garden  had  never  been  de- 
stroyed. It  has  the  further  honor  of  being  situated  right  in 
the  centre  of  the  world ;  the  exact  centre  is  indicated  by  a 
rounded  stone  covered  with  netting  and  lifted  from  the  floor 
on  a  low  stand.  On  each  side  of  the  chapel  is  an  episcopal 
throne,  the  one  on  the  south  being  for  the  use  of  the  Greek 
bishop  of  Jerusalem,  while  that  on  the  north  is  for  the  bishop 
of  Antioch.  The  Greek  body  being  the  richest  of  all  here,  of 
course  has  the  finest  vestments  and  most  costly  jewels.  These 
are  kept  in  a  place  called  the  Iconoclaustrum  and  are  exhibited 
on  special  occasions  to  sufficiently  distinguished  visitors. 

Near  this  part  of  the  church  are  numerous  small  chapels 
having  no  attractions  sufficient  to  commend  them  to  the  inter- 
ested visitor  and  very  doubtful  ones  for  the  pious  pilgrim  to 
consider.  Fortunately  the  pious  pilgrim  does  not  consider; 
he  accepts  \  and,  accepting,  reverences,  and  no  unpleasant 
doubts  assail  his  mind.  There  is  an  altar  having  in  it  two 
round  holes.  Here  Christ's  feet  were  confined  during  the 
preparation  for  the  crucifixion.  Then  there  is  the  Prison  of 
Christ,  the  altar  of  Saint  Longinus,  the  centurion  whose  spear 
pierced  the  Saviour's  side  as  he  was  suspended  on  the  cross. 
A  tradition,  quite  as  credible  as  the  others,  records  that  Lon- 
ginus had  but  one  eye ;  when  the  blood  and  water  followed 
his  spear  some  of  it  fell  into  his  empty  eye  socket  and  imme- 
diately a  new  eye  replaced  the  lost  one;  he  accordingly  be- 
came a  Christian  and  was  promoted  to  sainthood. 

Then  comes  the  chapel  where  the  soldiers  cast  lots  for  Christ's 
garments ;  the  Chapel  of  Derision  and  altars  almost  too  numerous 
to  mention.  The  passage-way  here  is  quite  in  gloom  and  it  re- 
quires some  acquaintance  with  the  arrangement  in  order  to  find 
one's  way.  Among  these  niches  in  which  the  altars  stand  is  a 
stairway  of  twenty-nine  steps  leading  down  into  the  Chapel  of 


196  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

St.  Helena,  sixteen  feet  below  the  level  of  the  church  floor. 
This  is  Abyssinian  property,  but  this  sect  being  poor  in  worldly 
goods  in  Jerusalem  and,  having  more  need  of  the  money  than 
of  the  chapel,  rents  it  to  the  Armenians.  It  is  rather  a  deso- 
late place  and  has  the  appearance  of  poverty,  its  altars  and  or- 
naments being  sadly  in  need  of  renovation.  On  this  site  Con- 
stantine's  basilica  originally  stood  and  early  Christians  consid- 
ered it  the  place  where  the  true  cross  was  unearthed.  It  gets 
its  present  name  from  the  belief  that  here  Saint  Helena  sat 
during  the  excavations  which  resulted  in  demonstrating  the 
correctness  of  the  location  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre. 
Traditions  are  a  little  mixed  just  here,  and  one  of  about  the 
year  1400,  mentions  another  place  which  is  here  also.  So,  by 
going  down  thirteen  high  steps,  some  of  which  are  cut  in  the 
native  rock,  one  can  stand  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Chapel 
of  the  Finding  of  the  Cross ;  this  chapel  is  modern,  was  for- 
merly a  natural  cave  in  the  rock  or  a  cistern,  and  has  no  claims 
to  serious  regard,  but  for  all  that  it  is  seriously  considered  by 
all  the  pilgrims  who  visit  it.  Here  they  murmur  a  prayer,  or 
if  they  feel  able,  will  buy  a  candle  from  a  young  Greek  in 
charge  and  place  it  in  a  hole  in  the  marble  slab  that  marks  the 
place  where  the  crosses  were  found.  Three  crosses  were  dis- 
covered here,  and  though  it  was  known  instantly  that  they 
were  the  three  used  on  the  occasion  of  Christ's  crucifixion, 
there  was  no  way  of  telling  on  which  one  the  Saviour  had  hung. 
But  Bishop  Macarius  saw  the  way  out  of  this  difficulty.  A 
very  pious  lady  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death ;  one  by  one 
the  three  crosses  were  presented  to  the  sufferer.  No  effect  was 
noticeable  on  presentation  of  the  first  two,  but  when  her  eyes 
beheld  the  third  and  her  hand  felt  it,  the  recovery  was  instan- 
taneous. This  was  a  demonstration  that  left  no  room  for 
doubt.  And  yet  some  do  have  very  serious  doubts  about  the 
whole  story ;  they  can  see  no  reason  for  the  angelic  visitation 
to  Helena  informing  her  where  to  look ;  they  cannot  under- 
stand why  it  was  necessary  for  the  cross  to  be  found  because 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  197 

there  was  no  purpose  to  be  served.  To  assert  that  it  was  to 
prove  the  correctness  of  the  site  chosen  for  the  sepulchre 
rather  weakens  than  strengthens  the  argument,  for  if  that  site 
was  as  well  known  as  its  advocates  insist  it  was  in  the  time  of 
Constantine,  there  was  certainly  nothing  to  be  gained  by  a 
miraculous  interposition. 

Many  other  places  called  holy,  connected  with  which  are 
traditions  of  the  miraculous,  are  included  within  the  compass 
of  this  cluster  of  buildings.  How  genuine  the  sites  and  how 
holy,  how  much  of  truth  there  is  in  the  traditions  and  how 
much  of  miracle  in  the  miraculous,  each  must  estimate  for 
himself,  unless  he  is  satisfied  to  accept  without  question  the 
dicta  of  the  custodian  priests.  If  reason  and  probability  be 
allowed  to  figure  in  the  estimate  the  great  mass  of  tradition 
and  miracle  must  be  rejected  as  fraudulent  and  productive  of 
no  possible  good.  Some  of  the  more  preposterous  sites  have 
been  passed  without  mention. 

These  many  holy  sites  and  attendant  fables  were  not  origi- 
nated at  one  time.  They  are  the  growth  of  centuries,  being 
added  to  from  time  to  time  as  the  ecclesiastical  authorities 
deemed  advisable.  Venerated  and  worshipped  by  the  ignorant, 
priest-ridden  pilgrims,  these  holy  sites  are  a  scandal  to  intelli- 
gent Christians, .  and  the  objects  of  derision  to  unbelievers. 
The  Christianity  of  Christ  is  outraged  by  such  pretensions,  and 
when  this  Christianity  takes  possession  of  the  people,  as  it  will, 
they  will  break  away  from  this  priestly  thralldom  and  worship 
God  only. 

The  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  gives  to  the  non-Chris- 
tian world  the  very  worst  possible  illustration  of  the  religion  of 
Him  in  whose  name  it  stands.  That  religion  was  simple, 
spiritual  and  productive  of  love  ;  whereas  the  religion  exhib- 
ited by  this  church  is  as  complex  as  can  be  devised,  as  ma- 
terial as  any  form  of  idolatry  and  annually  productive  of  as 
loveless  sights  as  can  be  imagined.  Between  the  different 
sects  represented  here  there  is  positive  enmity.     The  followers 


198  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

of  Moses  and  Mohammed  will  never  leave  their  faiths  to  em- 
brace the  type  of  Christianity  seen  in  this,  which  they  have 
reason  to  regard  as  the  leading  church  of  the  followers  of 
Christ.  They  know  what  it  stands  for — the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Him  whom  the  Gentile  world  has  accepted  as  its 
Messiah.  They  know  of  no  other  Christianity  than  this.  No 
wonder  they  reject  it  and  all  its  pretensions.  And  they  do  so 
on  a  principle  enunciated  by  Christ  and  universally  accepted 
as  correct,  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  A  brief 
glance  at  the  history  of  this  church  convinces  us  that  it  has 
produced  nothing  attractive ;  it  has  been  a  curse  rather  than 
a  blessing ;  it  has  been  a  house  of  war  instead  of  a  house  of 
peace:  it  has  stood  for  bigotry,  envy,  falsehood,  strife  and 
murder,  instead  of  witnessing  for  peace,  liberty,  truth  and 
love.  True  religion  would  lose  nothing  if  this  church  and  its 
record  could  be  expunged  from  the  pages  of  history. 

But  the  church  does  stand  as  a  witness  for  one  stupendous 
event.  The  truth  of  her  testimony  is  not  affected  by  her  mis- 
taken location,  her  senseless  traditions  or  her  warring  sects. 
Greek  may  differ  from  Latin,  Latin  from  Armenian,  Arme- 
nian from  Syrian,  Syrian  from  Copt  and  Copt  from  Abyssinian 
and  each  from  all  the  others;  they  may  have  their  disgraceful 
strifes  and  in  asserting  their  preeminence  show  their  loveless 
characters ;  they  may  differ  as  much  as  they  can  on  the  minor 
points  of  belief,  but  on  the  great  essential  there  is  unanimity. 
Christ  died  for  men  and  rose  again.  The  old  Church  stands 
for  this — the  truth  of  God  which  human  error  and  ignorance 
cannot  destroy — the  truth  that  shall  live  and  influence  for  eter- 
nity the  lives  of  the  followers  of  the  Risen  One. 


THE  NEW,  OR  GORDON'S,  CALVARY 


Religious  Prejudices  as  to  Holy  Sites — Questions  of  Locality 
— Untrustworthiness  of  Tradition — Known  Facts  about  the 
Place  of  the  Crucifixion — Support  for  the  Traditional  Holy 
Sepulchre — Eusebius — Korte's  Opposition  to  the  Tradition — 
Dr.  Robinson — Remains  under  Freres'  College — Conder's 
Opinion — Holy  Sites  and  Christian  Faith — The  Green  Hill — 
Circumstantial  Evidence — Place  of  Stoning — Roman  Methods 
— Topographical  Requirements  met  by  the  New  Calvary — 
Main  Roads — Real  Via  Dolorosa — Conspicuous — Shape  of  the 
Hill — Jeremiah's  Grotto — Size  of  the  Hill — The  New  Tomb 
— Church  of  St.  Stephen — Rock  Tombs — Within  the  New 
Tomb — Conder's  Tomb. 


yoo 


XI 

THE  NEW,  OR  GORDON'S,  CALVARY 

THE  localities  in  and  around  the  Holy  City  have  occa- 
sioned many  a  hot  dispute.  Absolute  identifications 
are  the  exceptions,  and  the  contested  field  is  wide.  In  the 
contests  passionate  expression  of  mere  personal  opinion  is  all 
too  common.  Such  expressions  are  general  from  persons 
who  are  too  interested  in  one  or  the  other  place  to  speak  with- 
out prejudice.  Prejudice  distorts  truth,  or  so  affects  the  men- 
tal medium  through  which  truth  passes  that  it  is  distorted  in 
the  expression.  No  prejudice  is  so  violent  as  that  which 
touches  religious  matters.  Many  advocates  of  the  present  holy 
places  consider  that  great  religious  importance  attaches  to 
them  and  that  to  express  disbelief  in  them  tends  to  rob  men  of 
their  faith  in  that  which  saves.  Hence  the  passionate  verbal 
assaults  upon  those  who  refuse  to  accept  the  traditional  site  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  of  Calvary.  But  passionate  assaults 
are  not  arguments  and  followers  of  Christ  will  insist  that  the 
genuineness  of  this  or  that  locality  in  its  relation  to  the  life  or 
death  of  the  Saviour  has  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  salvation. 

Education  is  broadening  and  in  all  matters  of  religion  young 
men  and  women  are  being  taught  to  think  for  themselves.  In 
the  more  enlightened  countries  a  statement  is  not  accepted  as 
truth  simply  because  it  is  made  by  priest  or  preacher.  It  must 
be  reasonable,  must  be  in  harmony  with  known  facts.  But 
the  "  holy  places"  are  not  in  an  enlightened  country,  nor  do 
their  possessors  represent  an  enlightened  type  of  Christianity. 
Patriarchs  and  bishops  say  the  places  are  genuine  and  there- 
fore holy,  and  the  people  for  the  most  part  accept  without 
question  their  statements.  Until  very  recent  years  there  has 
been  no  expressed  doubt  about  most  of  these  places,  but  lately 


202  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  almost  universal  acceptance  has  been  negatived  by  many 
intelligent  investigators  who  demand  something  more  than  the 
opinion  of  an  individual,  it  matters  not  how  distinguished  in 
any  branch  of  learning  that  individual  may  be,  something 
more  than  an  ancient  tradition  in  support  of  any  locality  for 
which  pretentious  claims  are  made.  They  are  demanding 
good  reasons  for  such  claims,  are  questioning  those  incapable 
of  proof  and  rejecting  any  that  are  plainly  in  opposition  to 
the  known  facts. 

Concerning  the  holy  sites  of  the  Holy  City  any  one  has  the 
right  to  ask  why  this  one  is  located  here  or  that  one  there.  If 
the  answer  given  is  not  satisfactory  he  has  the  right  to  doubt 
or  disbelieve.  For  instance  when  one  sees  hundreds  of  Rus- 
sian pilgrims  kneeling  devoutly  and  kissing  reverently  a  spot 
on  the  rock  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Mount  Moriah,  just  near 
where  the  Jericho  road  turns  to  cross  the  brook  Kedron,  and 
is  informed  that  here  is  where  Saint  Stephen  was  stoned,  he 
has  a  right  to  question  the  reason  for  this  localization.  The 
evidence  of  an  old  tradition  proves  nothing.  The  place  of 
Jewish  capital  punishment  being  known  and  Saint  Stephen 
having  suffered  that  punishment  there  is  no  reason  to  seek  an- 
other place  for  his  death  than  the  one  used  commonly  in  his 
day.  How  or  when  the  tradition  assigned  the  event  to  the 
spot  outside  of  the  present  St.  Stephen  Gate  is  a  matter  of  no 
moment.     The  tradition  is  groundless. 

A  tradition  just  as  groundless  has  for  fifteen  centuries  af- 
firmed that  the  two  most  momentous  facts  in  Christian  history 
took  place  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre.  To  the  one  whom  tradition  satisfies  this  is 
enough.  The  one  who  accepts  the  dicta  of  the  Church  with- 
out dispute  reasons  that,  as  the  Church  has  maintained  these 
two  sites  during  these  centuries,  he  has  no  right  to  doubt  their 
genuineness.  Had  the  Church  never  been  mistaken ;  had  she 
never  been  compelled  to  change  her  position  such  acquies- 
cence might  be  given  by  even  a  greater  number  than  now. 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  203 

But  so  long  as  the  Church  is  made  up  of  human  creatures  de- 
pendent upon  human  judgment  there  are  those  who  will  refuse 
absolutely  to  acknowledge  her  infallibility.  This  will  be  so 
especially  in  matters  unessential  to  salvation,  to  which  class 
certainly  belongs  the  localization  of  any  event  connected  with 
the  life  or  death  of  our  Lord. 

There  are  certain  things  positively  known  about  the  places 
of  the  crucifixion  and  burial  of  Jesus.  They  were  outside  the 
city  walls  at  that  time  and  not  far  from  one  of  the  gates. 
(Heb.  xiii.  12.)  The  places  of  death  and  sepulture  were  near 
each  other,  the  latter  being  in  a  garden.  (John  xix.  41  and 
42.)  The  crucifixion  took  place  on  a  conspicuous  site  near  a 
public  road.  (Matt,  xxvii.  39  and  55  ;  Mark  xv.  29  ;  Luke 
xxiii.  35.)  Any  place  laying  claim  to  being  the  site  of  these 
two  events  must  meet  these  three  requirements,  it  must  have 
been  without  the  walls,  near  one  of  the  gates  and  conspicuous. 
Failing  in  any  of  these  particulars  its  claims  are  untrustworthy, 
no  matter  how  old  the  tradition  favoring  it  or  how  great  the 
ecclesiastical  authority  supporting  it. 

No  locality  could  have  better  traditional  or  ecclesiastical 
support  than  the  present  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  For 
sixteen  hundred  and  seventy  years  the  tradition  has  been  ac- 
cepted as  true  by  the  great  majority  of  Christians.  True, 
there  was  a  period  of  nearly  three  hundred  years  previous  to 
the  birth  of  the  tradition  when  it  was  at  least  doubtful  whether 
anybody  connected  these  events  with  this  place.  During  the 
sixteen  hundred  and  seventy  years,  however,  all  the  Oriental 
Christian  Churches,  together  with  the  great  Roman  branch, 
have  repeatedly  pronounced  in  favor  of  the  truth  of  the  tradi- 
tion. The  fact,  and  it  is  a  fact  beyond  question,  that  there  is 
no  record  pointing  to  this  as  the  place  of  the  crucifixion  and 
burial  before  the  origin  of  the  tradition  might  be  overlooked, 
were  there  no  other  arguments  against  it.  Other  things  being 
equal,  strong  traditionary  evidence  must  be  accepted.  But  in 
this  instance  other  things  are  not  equal.     When  the  tradition 


204  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

began  the  places  of  death  and  burial  bad  been  lost.  Nothing 
is  more  certain  than  this.  Nobody  at  the  time  of  the  conver- 
sion of  Constantine  knew  where  Christ  had  suffered  or  where 
His  pierced  body  had  rested  from  that  Friday  of  death  till  the 
Sunday  of  resurrection.  The  assertion  of  Eusebius  to  the 
effect  that  while  clearing  away  the  ruins  of  a  heathen  temple 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  was  found  "most  unexpectedly,"  would 
never  have  been  made  had  he  known  just  where  the  Lord  had 
been  buried ;  and  he  would  have  known  had  that  knowledge 
been  possessed  by  anybody.  A  certain  tomb  was  found,  not 
one  only,  but  several,  and  the  assumption  was  immediately 
made  that  one  of  these  was  the  lost  tomb  of  the  Saviour.  Be- 
yond a  doubt  these  were  old  Jewish  tombs  and  probably  the 
last  resting-places  of  some  of  Judah's  royal  families.  Arch- 
aeologists date  them  from  a  time  anterior  to  Christ.  No  man 
speaks  with  greater  authority  on  this  question  than  Major  C.  R. 
Conder,  and  it  is  his  opinion  that  is  here  given. 

The  recovery  of  the  cross  is  nowhere  mentioned  in  the 
writings  of  Eusebius.  Cyril  first  speaks  of  this  "invention" 
in  a  sermon  preached  in  the  basilica  that  was  erected  over 
these  then  newly  discovered  holy  places.  This  basilica  was 
completed  in  335  a.  d.  Cyril  began  to  preach  in  347  and  in 
the  sermon  above  mentioned  speaks  of  pieces  of  the  true  cross 
having  been  distributed  throughout  the  world.  Thus  in  a 
quarter  of  a  century  this  tradition  began  and  had  met  with 
general  acceptance.  Were  it  not  thus  positively  known  that 
there  was  no  previous  history  connecting  this  place  with  the 
crucifixion  the  necessity  of  introducing  the  miraculous  into  the 
narrative  would  suffice  to  convince  that  there  was  no  such  his- 
tory. The  knowledge  that  this  was  the  actual  place  where 
that  event  occurred  would  have  required  no  miracle  to  sub- 
stantiate it.  We  are  thus  compelled  to  believe  that  the  Chris- 
tians residing  in  Jerusalem  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury were  not  cognizant  of  the  places  of  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  their  Lord. 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  205 

Nevertheless,  this  was  the  place  fixed  upon  by  ecclesiastical 
authority,  believed  in  by  the  unthinking  laity  and  fought  for 
by  those,  in  many  ways  unique  warriors — the  Crusaders. 
Unquestioned,  at  least  publicly,  for  fourteen  hundred  years  it 
was  honored  by  prelates  and  enriched  by  kings.  Religious 
bodies  before  the  Reformation  and  since  have  vied  with  each 
other  in  many  unholy  ways  to  gain  possession  of  the  ground 
within  the  holy  enclosure.  Altars  stand  in  nearly  every  nook 
and  corner,  each  one  professing  to  cover  some  place  where 
some  event  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Christian  religion, 
but  more  especially  with  the  passion  of  its  Founder,  occurred. 
To  protect  these  and  maintain  the  supremacy  of  Christianity 
kings  sent  their  armies,  and  knights  of  various  degree,  and  for 
various  reasons,  followed.  None  but  the  Omniscient  knows 
how  many  lives  were  sacrificed  in  that  century  of  struggle 
which  ended  in  defeat  for  the  Christian  arms.  None  but  the 
same  All-knowing  One  can  tell  how  many  devout  souls  have 
come  on  peaceful  pilgrimages  to  weep  where  they  thought  their 
Christ  had  suffered  and  pray  the  prayers  deemed  doubly  effi- 
cacious because  offered  from  this  "  holy  ground."  And  the 
pilgrimages  were  not  without  spiritual  blessing  to  those  who 
made  them  nor  the  invocaters  less  efficacious  because  the  sup- 
pliants were  mistaken. 

The  first  person  who  publicly  expressed  his  doubts  as  to  the 
genuineness  of  the  sites  covered  by  this  Church  was  a  certain 
German  bookseller  named  Korte.  He  made  a  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem in  1738,  and  whether  what  he  witnessed  in  and  around 
the  Church  disillusioned  him  as  to  its  sanctity,  or  his  study  of 
the  topography  convinced  him  that  the  founders  of  the  Church 
were  mistaken ;  at  any  rate,  on  his  return  to  Germany  he 
sought  by  every  means  to  assure  his  countrymen  that  the  claims 
made  for  it  could  not  be  sustained.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  present  wide-spread  disbelief. 

Since  Korte's  day  there  have  been  many  who  have  thought 
and  expressed  themselves  as  he  did.      But  the  cause  lacked  a 


206  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

vigorous  champion  until  it  was  advocated  by  Doctor  Edward 
Robinson,  the  great  American  name  associated  with  the  ex- 
plorations and  discoveries  in  and  near  Jerusalem.  In  1856 
Doctor  Robinson  proved  to  every  mind  free  to  accept  proof 
that  the  traditional  site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  must  have  been 
within  the  walls  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion.  Any  doubt 
that  might  have  been  entertained  as  to  the  sufficiency  of  this 
proof  was  removed  a  few  years  ago  by  the  discovery  of  the  re- 
mains of  the  old  north  wall  near  the  northwestern  angle  of  the 
present  wall.  These  remains  called  the  Castle  of  Goliath,  can 
be  seen  in  the  basement  of  the  Freres'  College.  They  appear  to 
be  the  ruins  of  three  large  towers  and  were  part  of  the  Second 
Wall.  They  have  in  situ  at  least  ten  layers  of  masonry  of  the 
same  massive  form,  peculiar  level  and  rough  face  as  the  old 
masonry  at  the  Damascus  Gate  and  at  the  southwest  angle  of 
the  temple  area  near  Robinson's  Arch.  This  permits  only 
one  conclusion,  and  that  is  that  the  locators  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  were  very  much  mistaken. 

The  only  other  possible  theory,  and  it  is  highly  improb- 
able, is  that  the  Church,  now  two  hundred  yards  south  of 
this  north  wall,  was  left  on  the  outside  by  the  wall  making 
a  great  detour  to  the  south  in  the  form  of  a  horseshoe.  As 
the  city  could  grow  only  toward  the  north  and  as  this  detour 
would  necessitate  more  than  double  the  labor  and  expense  of  a 
straight  wall,  besides  losing  to  the  increasing  city  a  very  valu- 
able building  section,  the  theory  is  absolutely  untenable.  As 
Conder  says,  speaking  of  these  bits  of  wall  under  the  Freres' 
College  ;  "  This  last  discovery  is  the  death  blow  to  the  claims 
of  the  traditional  site  and  a  final  settlement  of  a  bitter  con- 
troversy." 

Would  that  it  were  "  a  final  settlement !  "  But  this  discovery 
has  not  had  that  effect  upon  those  who  favor  the  traditional 
location.  They  have  held  it  too  long  to  confess  now  to  cen- 
turies of  error.  Leaders  of  religious  thought  who  could  be 
mistaken  for  so  long  on  a  matter  so  important  as  their  fol- 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  207 

lowers  believe  this  location  of  Calvary  to  be,  are  likely  to  be 
just  as  much  in  error  on  other  questions  relating  to  belief  and 
practice.  The  leaders  know  their  followers  will  thus  reason 
and  so  they  hold  all  the  more  tenaciously  to  the  traditional  site 
and  treat  with  as  much  contempt  as  they  can  command  any 
one  assailing  it.  The  "death-blow"  may  have  been  given, 
but  those  upon  whom  it  has  fallen  are  making  a  desperate  and 
so  far  successful  effort  to  keep  alive.  ' '  The  final  settlement 
of  a  bitter  controversy  ' '  has  been  reached  only  by  those  who 
accept  facts  regardless  of  their  effect  upon  venerable  opinions, 
and  who  feel  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  is  in  no  way  dependent 
upon  what  men  believe  about  certain  localities,  if  they  but  be- 
lieve in  Him. 

Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  will  matter  but  little  to  the  intelli- 
gent Christian  if  the  place  where  Christ  was  crucified  remains 
forever  unknown.  The  divine  knowledge  of  the  proneness  of 
men  to  idolatry  and  their  tendency  to  worship  the  place  to 
the  forgetting  of  the  Person  and  His  work  may  be  the  very 
reason  for  the  present  uncertainty.  Let  us  hope  that  this  un- 
certainty will  continue,  if  thereby  the  spiritual  part  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus  be  enhanced. 

However,  no  account  of  modern  Jerusalem  would  be  com- 
plete without  a  brief  mention  of  a  hillock,  just  north  of  the 
city,  which  has  recently  been  brought  into  prominence  as  a 
claimant  for  the  distinction  of  being  the  true  Calvary.  Other 
sites  have  been  selected  and  advocated  by  writers,  but  I  can- 
not regard  any  of  them  as  worthy  of  serious  consideration. 
No  positive  proof  can  be  furnished  that  this  "New  Calvary" 
was  the  actual  site  of  the  great  tragedy ;  the  circumstantial 
evidence  is  very  strong  and  is  here  presented  for  what  it  is 
worth.     Even  tradition  is  not  lacking. 

The  eminence  we  are  describing  is  the  only  prominent  hillock 
north  of  the  city  and  yet  near  enough  for  any  event  happening 
upon  it  to  be  witnessed  by  persons  viewing  it  from  the  walls.  It 
is  the  northern  extremity  of  the  hill  on  which  that  part  of  the  city 


208  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

called  Bezetha  stands,  and  has  been  artificially  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  hill  by  a  deep  moat  about  a  hundred  yards  wide. 
This  moat  was  made  to  assist  in  the  defence  of  the  north  wall 
and  out  of  it  was  taken  much  of  the  stone  used  in  the  process 
of  city  erection.  Just  when  it  was  cut  through  is  not  known, 
but  certainly  it  was  done  long  before  our  era  began  and  at  the 
time  of  Christ  would  meet  all  the  requirements  of  the  "  Place 
of  the  Skull."  The  hill  is  called  El  Heidemyeh  to-day  by  the 
native  Arabs,  a  name  meaning  "the  place  of  Heidem,"  who, 
Mohammedans  assert,  belonged  to  a  princely  family,  was  also 
the  leader  of  a  strong  religious  sect  and  at  his  death  was 
buried  on  this  hill.  The  Christians  refuse  to  accept  this  tra- 
dition and  instead  claim  that  El  Heidemyeh  was  in  the 
fifteenth  century  written  El  Heiremyeh,  meaning  Jeremiah.  In 
favor  of  the  Moslem  account  is  the  fact  that  the  hill  is  covered 
by  one  of  their  oldest  cemeteries,  while  in  favor  of  the  Christian 
is  the  old  Jewish  tradition  which  informs  us  that  in  a  cave  in 
the  hill  the  Tearful  Prophet  wrote  his  book  of  Lamentations. 

Among  the  Jews  it  is  known  as  the  Place  of  Stoning,  where 
those  condemned  to  death  under  their  law  met  such  punish- 
ment as  the  law  prescribed.  Nor  was  the  punishment  here 
meted  out  limited  to  the  Jewish  method  of  stoning,  as  is  mani- 
fest from  a  passage  in  the  Talmud,  (Sanhedrim  vi.  1-4), 
from  which  it  appears  that  crucifixion  was  also  practiced  at  the 
"  House  of  Stoning."  "They  sunk  a  beam  in  the  ground  and 
a  cross  beam  was  stretched  from  it,  and  they  bound  his  hands 
together  and  hung  him  up."  There  is  some  uncertainty  as  to 
the  date  when  the  above  selection  was  written,  but  certainly  it 
was  previous  to  200  a.  d.  In  this  passage  it  is  also  said  that, 
"  The  place  of  stoning  was  the  height  of  two  men."  These  are 
important  as  showing  that  at  the  time  they  were  recorded 
crucifixion  took  place  here  and  that  a  precipice  similar  to  the 
one  now  seen  was  then  in  existence. 

The  fact  that  Jesus  was  executed  according  to  Roman 
methods  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  place  of  execution.     The 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  209 

opposers  of  the  New  Calvary  insist  that  it  is  not  at  all  likely 
that  the  Romans  would  use  the  place  the  Jews  were  in  the 
habit  of  using— why  is  not  easy  to  understand,  for  the  Romans 
were  not  likely  to  neglect  any  suitable  thing  or  place  simply 
because  others  had  previously  employed  it.  The  House  of 
Stoning  was  well  adapted,  it  was  conveniently  located  and  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  the  Roman  governors  found  it  very  use- 
ful in  troublous  times  as  a  place  of  execution  and  warning. 

Topographical  requirements  are  well  met  by  the  New  Cal- 
vary. It  is  outside  the  present  city  wall  and  the  ancient 
masonry  at  the  Damascus  Gate  assures  us  that  here  at  least  the 
present  wall  occupies  the  identical  position  of  the  wall  existing 
in  the  time  of  Christ.  This  old  wall  is  called  the  Second 
Wall.  Calvary  was  outside  of  that  wall.  The  New  Calvary 
is  also  near  two  gates  which  lead  northward  from  the  city.  A 
road  from  the  Damascus  Gate  followed  the  present  miserable 
pathway  to  the  north  and  passed  so  near  the  knoll  now  re- 
garded as  Skull  hill  that  any  event  occurring  there  could  be 
easily  witnessed  by  those  who  "  passed  by."  The  other  road 
proceeded  from  the  Tower  of  Antonia,  and  formed  the  military 
highway  to  Csesarea,  the  Roman  capital  of  the  country  at  that 
time.  This  latter  road  skirted  the  eastern  base  of  the  knoll 
within  easy  speaking  distance  of  the  summit.  Travellers  to 
and  from  the  city  would  be  continually  going  and  coming 
along  this  important  road.  If  Christ  were  led  direct  from 
Pilate's  judgment  hall  to  the  place  of  execution  this  is  the  way 
He  would  most  likely  have  taken  and  so  this  would  be  the  real 
Via  Dolorosa. 

Further,  the  site  of  this  Calvary  is  most  conspicuous.  From 
every  direction  it  can  be  plainly  seen.  It  is  the  only  promi- 
nent hill  anywhere  in  the  neighborhood.  There  is  nothing  to 
prevent  such  a  crowd  as  assembled  on  the  day  of  the  crucifixion 
from  gathering  on  the  slopes  of  the  hill  and  viewing  every  act 
connected  with  that  triple  scene  of  death.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  this  position  meets  all  the  requirements  of  the  Gos- 


210  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

pel  accounts,  being  "without  the  gate,"  yet  "  nigh  unto  the 
city  "  ;  capable  of  being  seen  "  afar  off,"  and  close  enough  to 
two  main  roads  for  those  who  "passed  by"  to  "  revile  "  the 
Crucified. 

The  shape  of  the  knoll  has  by  some  been  thought  to  con- 
tribute an  argument  in  its  favor.  The  site  of  the  crucifixion 
for  some  reason  was  known  as  "the  Place  of  a  Skull." 
Whether  it  was  given  this  name  because  it  really  resembled  a 
human  skull  in  form  or  because  the  unburied  remains  of  male- 
factors who  had  met  death  for  their  crimes  could  frequently 
be  seen  on  it  cannot  be  now  definitely  known.  Some  visitors 
to  the  hill  profess  to  see  in  it  a  resemblance  to  a  human  skull, 
but  I  must  say  that  it  is  only  by  the  exercise  of  much  imagi- 
nation that  I  have  been  able  to  observe  this.  Two  small  caves 
in  the  face  of  the  southern  cliff  do  look  a  little  like  empty  eye 
sockets,  but  to  base  anything  on  these  would  be  presuming  too 
much,  for  their  date  is  very  uncertain.  The  part  of  the  cliff 
in  which  they  are  formed  in  a  very  soft  limestone  and  these 
small  apertures  may  be  one  of  Nature's  many  freaks  in  the  Ju- 
dean  hills.  The  several  caves  in  this  vicinity  were  formerly 
the  residence  of  Moslem  and  Christian  hermits,  and  too  many 
changes  are  likely  to  have  taken  place  during  nineteen  cen- 
turies to  permit  much  weight  to  attach  to  a  fancied  resem- 
blance. 

A  much  larger  cave  exists  here  and  goes  by  the  name  of 
Jeremiah's  Grotto.  A  Christian  Apocrypha,  dating  from  136 
a.  d.,  a  part  of  which  is  read  every  year  by  the  Greek  Church 
on  the  anniversary  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  informs  us 
that  in  this  grotto  the  book  of  Lamentations  was  written. 

Major  Conder  was  the  first  real  authority  who  advocated  in 
print  the  claims  of  this  New  Calvary,  though  Doctor  Selah  Mer- 
rill, present  United  States  Consul  at  Jerusalem,  certainly  shares 
this  honor  with  the  English  explorer.  The  name  of  neither  of 
the  gentlemen  is  ever  applied  to  the  hillock,  but  another 
name  more  widely  known  for  other  reasons  is  often  given  it. 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  211 

General  Gordon,  of  Chinese  and  African  fame,  a  year  or  two 
before  his  last  campaign,  visited  Jerusalem  and  was  so  im- 
pressed with  the  belief  that  the  New  Calvary  was  the  actual 
one  that  he  wrote  and  spoke  much  in  its  favor.  An  enterpris- 
ing photographer  named  his  view  of  the  hill  Gordon's  Calvary, 
and  it  is  to-day  probably  better  known  by  this  than  by  any 
other  title. 

The  surface  of  the  hill  covers  an  extent  of  about  three  acres. 
It  slopes  rather  abruptly  to  the  west,  but  gently  on  the  east 
and  north.  The  summit  is  almost  flat  and  affords  a  good 
place  for  religious  meetings.  The  Moslems  whose  dead  are 
buried  here  make  no  serious  objections  to  their  tombs  being 
used  as  seats  by  Christians.  That  they  would  prefer  the  ab- 
sence of  these  infidels  is  well  told  on  the  faces  of  any  Moham- 
medans who  happen  to  be  on  the  hill  when  a  Christian  serv- 
ice is  being  held.  American  Christians  have  thus  far  been 
usually  the  ones  who  have  assembled  here,  and  some  very 
profitable  meetings  have  been  held  by  them.  Mr.  Moody  and 
Doctor  Talmage  have  preached  on  this  suggestive  place ;  and 
an  occasion  not  to  be  forgotten  by  any  who  were  present  was 
a  service  held  by  the  Congregational  Party  on  the  Sunday  of 
April  21st,  1895.  Nor  will  Easter  of  1898  when  Rev.  P.  Cady 
preached  on  "  The  Resurrection"  be  forgotten. 

Equal  in  importance  with  Golgotha  was  the  tomb  of  Joseph 
in  which  the  Crucified  was  laid.  The  two  places  were  near 
each  other.  "  Now  in  the  place  where  He  was  crucified  there 
was  a  garden ;  and  in  the  garden  a  new  sepulchre  wherein 
was  never  man  yet  laid.  There  laid  they  Jesus,  therefore,  be- 
cause of  the  Jews'  preparation  day  :  for  the  sepulchre  was 
nigh  at  hand"  (John  xix.  41,42).  Certainly  there  can  be 
but  one  conclusion  from  a  statement  so  definite.  The  places 
of  the  cross  and  the  grave  were  so  near  each  other  that  little 
time  would  be  consumed  in  transferring  the  body  from  the 
former  to  the  latter.  If  the  New  Calvary  be  the  real  Calvary, 
where  is  that  rock  tomb?     Diligent  search  has  been  made  for 


212  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

it,  but,  as  usual,  with  no  certain  result.  One  writer  says  here, 
another  says  there,  and  the  interested  reader  may  take  his 
choice.  In  the  meantime  the  war  of  words  goes  on.  We 
hope  the  only  outcome  of  it  all  will  be  to  have  the  matter  re- 
main undecided.  This  will  avoid  any  likelihood  of  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  idolatry  and  sacrilege  that  goes  on  around  the 
traditional  tomb. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  New  Calvary  there  is  no  scarcity  of 
rock  tombs.  It  has  been  a  burying  ground  for  ages,  and  each 
new  excavation  brings  to  light  the  forgotten  resting-place  of 
some  former  resident  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  multiplicity  of 
these  tombs  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  one  will  be  finally 
agreed  upon  as  the  garden  sepulchre  of  the  wealthy  Joseph  of 
Arimathea.  Excavations  whose  object  was  the  recovery  of  the 
"  new  tomb  "  began  in  1873.  In  1881  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
Christian  Church  were  unearthed.  The  Dominicans,  who  are 
now  the  possessors  of  this  ruin,  claim  that  it  was  the  work  of 
the  Empress  Eudoxia.  Around  it  are  many  rock-cut  sepul- 
chres. From  inscriptions  found  in  these  it  is  known  that  they 
were  the  tombs  of  deacons  of  the  early  Church,  but  just  how 
early  cannot  be  known  positively.  At  whatever  time  these 
tombs  were  cut  it  appears  that  this  locality  was  regarded  as  a 
desirable  place  for  Christian  burial.  It  may  have  been  be- 
cause Saint  Stephen  here  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  the  in- 
furiated Jews,  or  because  a  Greater  than  Stephen  here  finished 
the  work  He  was  appointed  to  do.  If  the  latter  be  true,  the 
surmise  of  a  recent  writer  may  be  correct.  Rev.  Haskett 
Smith  says  in  effect  that  these  Christian  tombs  manifest  the 
desire  of  the  early  followers  of  the  Crucified  to  be  buried 
"  near  their  Lord." 

This  New  Calvary  has  had  its  northwestern  slope  cut  away 
and  the  exposed  rock  has  been  worked  to  a  smooth,  perpen- 
dicular face.  The  accumulated  debris  of  centuries  had  hidden 
from  view  this  work  of  the  masons,  until  modern  explorations, 
in  quest  of  the  secrets  the  earth  contained,  removed  the  debris 


The  New,  or  Gordon's,  Calvary  213 

and  exposed  the  face  of  the  rock.  A  ditch  thirty-five  feet  long 
and  from  twelve  to  fifteen  in  depth  has  been  sunk,  but  so  far 
only  one  tomb  has  been  discovered.  This  now  goes  by  the 
name  of  the  New  Tomb.  No  one  can  question  that  in  point 
of  locality  it  fulfills  all  the  requirements  of  the  Gospel  narrative. 
It  is  only  a  few  rods  from  the  summit  of  Calvary  and  is  within 
the  enclosure  of  a  very  ancient  garden.  The  dispute  as  to  its 
genuineness  hinges  on  its  form.  In  the  rock  tombs  around 
Jerusalem  two  distinct  styles  are  noted.  There  are  those 
which  have  a  sort  of  vestibule  or  chamber.  From  this  cham- 
ber openings  are  cut  in  the  walls  just  large  enough  to  insert  a 
body  lengthwise.  Such  are  called  Kokim  and  are  the  older 
form.  In  the  later  style,  known  as  loculi,  the  places  for  the 
reception  of  the  bodies  were  rock-cut  sarcophagi  and  were 
parallel  with  the  sides  of  the  chamber.  This  New  Tomb  be- 
longs to  the  loculus  form  and  was  the  kind  in  which  Christ 
was  interred.  This  kind  only  would  have  permitted  the  view 
that  Mary  had  of  "  two  angels  in  white  sitting,  the  one  at  the 
head  and  the  other  at  the  feet  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had 
lain."     Such  a  description  could  not  apply  to  the  older  style. 

A  descent  of  ten  steps  is  necessary  below  the  level  of  the 
garden  before  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  is  reached.  Just 
recently  a  guard  has  been  stationed  here  and  no  one  is  ad- 
mitted except  by  him  and  under  his  surveillance — a  precaution 
made  necessary  by  the  vandalism  of  visitors,  many  of  whom 
in  their  desire  to  obtain  a  fragment  of  the  rock  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  deface  the  tomb  itself. 

The  low  door  at  which  the  visitor  enters  leads  into  a  vesti- 
bule, whence  two  steps  lead  down  into  the  tomb  chamber,  in 
which  are  three  receptacles  for  the  dead  ranged  around  the 
three  sides  and  even  with  the  floor.  The  receptacle  on  the 
left  as  one  faces  the  south  is  by  many  considered  the 
"  place  where  the  Lord  lay."  On  the  south  wall  of  the  tomb 
chamber  can  be  traced  an  ancient  cross  painted  on  the  rock, 
but  as  this  is  in  the  Latin  form  it  is  argued  that  it  cannot  be 


214  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

older  than  the  fifth  and  may  date  from  the  twelfth  century. 
This  cross  and  the  accompanying  inscriptions,  IC.  XP.  A  and 
Q  are  regarded  by  Major  Conder  as  mediaeval.  But  the  cross 
and  inscriptions  have  nothing,  necessarily,  to  do  in  attesting 
the  age  of  the  tomb.  They  simply  prove  that  at  the  time  they 
were  painted  this  was  considered  Christian  property  and  may 
indicate  that  there  was  once  a  small  chapel  or  praying  place  in 
this  quiet  retreat. 

The  Rev.  Haskett  Smith  is  very  strong  in  his  belief  in  the 
genuineness  of  this  tomb  and  has  succeeded  in  arousing  so 
much  interest  in  it  that  a  company  of  English  protestants  has 
purchased  the  garden  in  which  it  stands.  The  price  paid  the 
former  owner  was  very  much  more  than  the  actual  value  of  the 
land,  but  in  such  cases  sentiment  is  reckoned  at  its  full  value 
by  the  seller.  An  imposing  wall  now  surrounds  the  garden. 
Let  us  hope  that  the  sentiment  of  the  good  people  who  have 
recently  come  into  possession  of  it  will  carry  them  no  further 
and  that  they  will  allow  the  tomb  to  remain  without  ornamen- 
tation of  any  sort. 

The  inconclusive  nature  of  the  evidence  in  favor  of  this  be- 
ing the  New  Tomb  of  Joseph  does  not  affect  the  strong  proofs 
that  the  hill  above  it  is  the  real  Golgotha.  Further  excava- 
tions in  the  neighborhood  may  bring  to  light  another  tomb 
about  whose  antiquity  there  will  be  no  doubt.  Major  Conder 
claims  to  have  found  such  a  tomb,  but  there  are  too  many  ob- 
jections to  this  because  of  its  location.  This  was  hewn  in  a 
rock  which  as  the  advocate  of  it  says  :  "  Became  the  founda- 
tion of  the  corner  tower  of  the  '  Third  Wall '  about  forty 
years  after  the  crucifixion." 

Certainly,  of  all  the  sites  advocated,  this  hill  just  north  of 
the  Damascus  Gate  offers  the  most  convincing  evidence  of  its 
identity  as  the  true  place  of  the  crucifixion.  In  fact  there  is 
no  argument  against  it.  Let  us  hope  that  it  will  continue  as  it 
is,  undesecrated. 


SOME  PLACES  OF  SPECIAL  INTEREST 


The  Citadel  of  David — Commanding  Position — Herod's 
Work — Diversity  of  Opinion  as  to  Age — Phasselus — Dimen- 
sions— View  from  the  Tower — Tomb  of  David — Questionable 
— History  of  the  Site — Moslem  Property — Coenaculum — Tra- 
ditions— Via  Dolorosa — Important  Street — Church  of  St. 
Anne — First  Station — Scala  Sancta — Ecce  Homo  Arch — Vari- 
ous Stations — A  Modern  Tradition  for  this  Via  Dolorosa — 
Pool  of  Hezekiah — Christian  Street — Uncertainty — Dimen- 
sions— Moslem  Reconstruction — New  Topography — Pool  of 
Bethesda — Dimensions — Sheep's  Pool — Five  Porches — Pool  in 
Property  of  St.  Anne  Probably  the  Real — Explorations — 
Tombs  of  the  Kings — Rock  Tombs — Queen  Helena — Descrip- 
tion of  Tombs — De  Sauley — Solomon's  Quarry — Location — 
Recovery — Danger — Quality  of  Stone — Method  of  Quarrying 
— Of  Masonic  Interest. 


216 


XII 

SOME  PLACES   OF   SPECIAL  INTEREST 


I. 

Tower  of  David. 

II. 

Tomb  of  David. 

III. 

Via  Dolorosa. 

IV. 

Pool  of  Hezekiah. 

V. 

Pool  of  Bethesda. 

VI. 

Tombs  of  the  Kings, 

VII. 

Solomon's  Quarry. 

IN  the  preceding  pages  brief  mention  has  been  made  of  cer- 
tain places  that  have  been  important  in  the  city's  past  and 
add  to  the  interest  and  appearance  of  its  present.  To  omit  a 
description  and  illustration  of  these  in  a  work  of  this  kind 
would  be  neglecting  the  most  conspicuous  objects  of  the  city's 
architecture,  and  passing  by  as  unimportant,  places  and  things 
which  thousands  of  pilgrims  and  tourists  come  every  year  to 
see. 

The  Citadel  of  David. — The  first  building  that  meets  the 
vision  of  one  approaching  Jerusalem  from  the  south  or  west  is 
that  known  as  the  Citadel  of  David.  It  occupies  a  command- 
ing position  and  was  originally  chosen  for  its  natural  ad- 
vantages as  a  place  of  defence  ;  from  the  day  of  its  first  choos- 
ing it  has  been  so  used.  Perhaps  the  early  Jebusites  had  a 
stronghold  here,  and  what  they  had  erected  David  improved 
when  he  made  Jerusalem  the  capital  of  his  kingdom.  It  stood 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  David's  city  and  doubtless  then  as 
now  commanded  the  principal  entrance.  It  was  the  site  of 
some  of  Herod's  greatest  works  of  fortification  and  is  zealously 
held  to-day  by  the  forces  of  the  Sultan. 

The  massive  stones  in  the  base  of  the  tower  would  settle  a 

217 


218  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

disputed  question  if  they  could  tell  just  when  they  were 
placed  in  their  present  positions,  for  they  are  in  situ.  There 
is  great  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  date  to  be  assigned  to 
masonry, — there  being  no  marks  which  prove  beyond  doubt 
the  age  when  the  builders  wrought.  So  the  large  ancient- 
looking  stones  in  the  Tower  of  David,  with  their  marginal 
drafts  of  from  four  to  five  inches  wide  are  as  mysterious  as 
many  another  feature  of  this  strange  old  city.  They  are  cer- 
tainly as  old  as  the  Herodian  period.  We  know  from  Josephus 
that  Herod  built  three  large  towers  in  this  part  of  the  city  and 
called  them  Hippicus,  Phasselus  and  Miriamne.  Parts  of 
three  towers  still  stand,  the  one  now  called  after  David's  name 
being  identified  as  that  of  Hippicus  or  Phasselus.  Herod's 
towers  were  not  destroyed  when  the  Romans  under  Titus  took 
and  demolished  so  much  of  the  town ;  the  Saracens  and 
Crusaders  also  permitted  them  to  stand  ;  they  were  partly  de- 
molished in  1239  a.  D.  by  Daud  of  Kerak,  but  this  conqueror 
left  the  base  of  the  tower  under  discussion  undisturbed,  and 
this  was  used  as  a  foundation  for  later  buildings. 

From  the  description  and  measurements  of  the  ancient 
masonry  in  this  tower  Sir  Charles  Warren  and  Major  Conder 
may  be  correct  in  identifying  it  with  Phasselus.  The  present 
dimensions — fifty-four  feet  north  and  south  by  sixty-eight  feet 
east  and  west — approximate  the  dimensions  of  Phasselus  as  re- 
corded by  Josephus.  The  present  battlements  correspond  to 
Josephus'  description  of  them  as  they  were  in  his  day.  A 
sloping  escarp  of  smooth-faced  stones  leads  up  to  these  battle- 
ments. This  escarp  was  no  doubt  magnificent  masonry  when 
first  constructed  and  for  centuries  afterward.  Ages  of  exposure 
to  the  weather  and  severe  treatment  by  the  weapons  of  assail- 
ants have  caused  it  to  crumble  in  places,  and  modern  repairers 
have  been  very  careless.  In  spite  of  its  age,  bad  treatment  and 
the  indifference  of  its  present  owners  it  is  a  commanding 
structure  and  is  the  finest  of  the  ancient  towers. 

Within   the   chamber   of  the  tower  is  an  immense  cistern 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  219 

whose  water  partly  supplies  the  needs  of  the  "Sultan's  chil- 
dren." It  is  filled  by  surface  drainage  and  by  a  conduit  from 
the  Birket  Mamilla,  or  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon.  Josephus  tells 
us  of  the  existence  of  such  a  conduit,  through  which  ' '  water 
was  brought  into  the  tower  of  Hippicus." 

A  climb  to  the  top  of  the  tower  gives  us  a  commanding  view 
and  a  good  notion  of  the  carelessness  of  those  who  have 
charge  of  Turkish  military  affairs.  There  seems  to  be  no 
order  about  the  barracks.  The  soldiers  are  untidy,  but 
not  more  so  than  their  quarters.  The  cannons  in  the  tower 
are  genuine  antiques,  but  during  the  Moslem  feasts  are  suf- 
ficiently powerful  to  satisfy  any  one  chancing  to  be  in  the 
vicinity  of  their  noise.  If  the  garrisons'  ordnance  consists  of 
the  pieces  visitors  are  permitted  to  see,  they  could  offer  little 
resistance  to  an  attacking  force  modernly  equipped.  The 
view  from  the  top  is  the  best  to  be  had  from  any  point  in  the 
city.  An  uninterrupted  prospect  in  every  direction  can  be 
enjoyed.  The  observer  is  above  an  historic  spot,  and  his  range 
of  vision  includes  as  many  places  whereon  history  has  been 
made  as  any  view-point  on  earth. 

Tomb  of  David. — A  few  rods  south  of  the  Zion  Gate  is  a 
cluster  of  buildings  the  largest  of  which  is  called  Nebi  Daud 
— the  Prophet  David.  This  is  the  site  of  the  sepulchres  of 
the  early  kings  of  Israel,  or  is  believed  to  be  by  Jews, 
Moslems,  and  the  majority  of  Christians.  In  recent  years, 
however,  the  effort  has  been  made  to  locate  the  "  royal  tombs  " 
on  the  eastern  hill,  or  Moriah.  All  depends  on  the  position 
of  the  City  of  David.  If  that  city  stood  on  the  low  hill  south 
of  the  temple  area,  then  somewhere  in  that  very  limited  space 
David  and  his  successors  were  buried.  If,  as  has  been  advo- 
cated in  the  chapters  of  this  work,  the  western  hill  must 
have  been  the  city's  real  location,  then  here  we  must  look  for 
the  royal  burial-place.  At  all  events  this  is  now  called  the 
tomb  of  David  and  for  present  purposes  that  is  all  we  require. 

As  David  is  considered  by  Moslems  one  of  the  greatest  of 


220  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  prophets,  this  is  an  especially  holy  place,  guarded  more 
zealously  from  "infidel"  defilement  than  even  the  sacred 
cave  at  Hebron.  The  site  was  formerly  Christian  property 
and  before  the  building  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
a  church  stood  here.  It  was  called  the  Church  of  the 
Apostles  and  marked  the  place  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  In  the  seventh  century  it  was 
affirmed  that  here  also  the  Last  Supper  was  held.  When  the 
Crusaders  had  possession  of  Jerusalem  this  church  was  known 
as  the  Church  of  Zion,  or  of  St.  Mary.  In  the  fourteenth 
century  the  Franciscans  acquired  title  to  this  property,  and  the 
building  in  its  present  form  is  as  they  constructed  it.  In 
1547  the  Moslems  expelled  the  Franciscans  considering  that 
their  occupation  was  a  sacrilege.  It  has  since  remained  a 
Moslem  sanctuary.  Christians  are  never  welcomed,  and  in- 
deed are  forbidden  to  enter  any  place  except  an  "  upper  room  " 
which  members  of  the  Latin  and  Oriental  Churches  regard  as 
the  chamber  in  which  the  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted.  This 
room,  which  is  called  the  Coenaculum,  was  originally  part  of 
a  Christian  Church.  Its  pillars  and  ceiling  are  interesting, 
but  not  ancient,  probably  dating  from  the  fourteenth  century. 
In  the  southeast  corner  a  stairway  leads  into  a  smaller  room 
where  the  guardian  of  the  place  points  out  a  monument  of  modern 
design  and  informs  you  that  it  stands  directly  above  the  sar- 
cophagus of  David,  which  still  exists  in  the  cave  beneath.  A 
door  is  shown  which  is  said  to  lead  into  this  cave,  though 
whether  any  such  cave  really  exists  is  a  question.  No  living 
person  has  looked  into  it.  Christians  and  Jew  cannot ; 
Moslems  will  not.  If  permission  were  given  to  make  an  in- 
spection the  question  of  the  "  City  of  David  "  and  so  Mount 
Zion  might  be  settled. 

Apart  from  its  connection  with  the  burial  of  the  kings  an 
interest  attaches  to  Nebi  Daud  from  the  fact  that  tradition  has 
assigned  to  the  space  it  includes  so  many  of  the  events  of 
early  Christianity.     It  is  said  by  Dean  Stanley  that  the  Coe- 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  221 

naculum  "  contains  within  its  four  walls  a  greater  confluence 
of  traditions  than  any  other  place  of  like  dimensions  in  Pales- 
tine." Besides  being  the  place  of  the  Last  Supper,  it  is 
claimed  that  it  was  the  scene  of  Christ's  sudden  appearance 
among  the  disciples  after  His  resurrection ;  of  the  descent  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  at  Pentecost,  of  the  residence  and  death  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  and  of  the  burial  of  Saint  Stephen. 

This  is  certainly  one  instance  in  which  a  superabundance  of 
traditions  detracts  from  the  probability  of  each  one.  It  is  not 
at  all  likely  that  a  residence  should  have  been  permitted  in 
Christ's  time  immediately  above  the  Sepulchre  of  David.  The 
centering  of  all  these  traditions  on  this  spot  may  be  traced  to 
a  statement  in  the  writings  of  Cyril,  that  the  only  building 
which  survived  the  destruction  of  the  city  by  Titus  stood 
here.  It  would  be  easy  to  infer  that  a  structure  so  spared 
must  have  been  divinely  protected,  and  if  so,  for  what  better 
reason  than  its  connection  with  sacred  events  ?  Such  events, 
the  places  of  whose  occurrence  had  been  lost,  would  be  readily 
assigned  to  this  locality  ;  there  was  no  intention  to  deceive ; 
they  wished  by  thus  localizing  an  event  to  make  it  more  real. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  said  for  all  such  places  located  since,  that 
their  locators  had  no  intention  to  deceive,  but  the  method  of 
locating  many  Holy  places  and  the  purposes  for  which  they 
have  been  employed  make  one  suspicious  of  the  motives. 

Via  Dolorosa. — Entering  the  city  from  the  east  through  the 
Gate  of  St.  Stephen  we  are  on  one  of  the  most  important 
streets — the  most  important  if  estimated  by  the  number  of 
Holy  Places  that  line  it.  Just  within  the  gate  is  a  doorway 
leading  to  the  Church  of  St.  Anne,  the  mother  of  the  Virgin, 
on  a  site  which  has  been  held  sacred  to  the  memory  of  this 
saint  since  the  seventh  century  and  was  kept  by  a  sisterhood 
in  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  Saladin  after  his  conquest  es- 
tablished a  large  school  here,  and  it  was  held  by  the  Moslems 
until  1856,  when  it  was  presented  by  the  then  reigning  Sultan, 
Abdul-Mejid,    to   Napoleon   III.       The   present   church,    re- 


222  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

modelled  in  the  twelfth  century,  has  been  little  disturbed  by 
its  different  owners. 

Following  this  street,  which  is  known  as  that  of  Our  Lady 
Mary,  we  soon  come  to  some  very  ancient  masonry  regarded 
as  formerly  belonging  to  the  Tower  of  Antonia.  A  little  fur- 
ther to  the  west  is  the  Chapel  of  Scourging,  a  marble  slab  let 
into  the  wall  on  the  right  indicating  the  place.  This  is  Fran- 
ciscan property,  having  been  presented  to  that  order  by  Ibra- 
him Pasha  in  1838.  Below  the  new  chapel,  which  was  built 
in  1839  by  the  generosity  of  Duke  Maximilian  of  Bavaria,  the 
Column  of  Scourging  was  found. 

The  Via  Dolorosa  proper  begins  a  little  further  west  or  in 
front  of  the  entrance  to  the  Turkish  barracks.  This  is  the 
first  of  the  fourteen  stations  of  "the  way  of  pain". — away 
believed  by  the  faithful  pilgrims  to  be  the  identical  road  trod- 
den by  the  foot  of  the  Son  of  Man,  as  He  went  to  His  death. 

This  first  station  marks,  according  to  recent  tradition,  the 
place  of  the  House  of  Pilate,  which  until  the  time  of  the  Cru- 
saders was  supposed  to  be  somewhere  on  the  western  hill.  The 
holy  steps — Scala  Sancta — now  in  the  Church  of  St.  John  La- 
teran,  at  Rome,  were  taken  from  this  place.  The  second  station, 
where  the  cross  was  laid  upon  the  shoulders  of  Christ,  is  near 
the  steps  leading  up  to  the  barracks.  A  little  further  on  is  the 
fine  school  and  church  of  the  Sisters  of  Zion,  and  the  Ecce 
Homo  arch  where  Pilate  called  the  attention  of  those  who 
were  crying  for  the  blood  of  an  innocent  Person  in  the  words 
"  Behold  the  Man."  This  arch  dates  from  the  Roman  period 
and  has  frequently  been  repaired ;  it  was  probably  originally 
an  arch  of  triumph,  and  it  received  its  present  designation  in 
the  tenth  century. 

Beyond  the  arch  the  "way"  passes  the  Austrian  Hospice, 
makes  a  right  angle  to  the  left  and  then  to  the  right,  and  as- 
cends the  western  hill  by  a  succession  of  steps,  passing  under 
gloomy  vaults,  till  it  reaches  the  northern  end  of  Christian 
street,  near  which  was  formerly  an  entrance  to  the  Church  of 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  223 

the  Holy  Sepulchre.  There  is  nothing  about  this  way  which 
distinguishes  it  from  any  other  street  in  the  city ;  it  is  as  tor- 
tuous and  narrow  and  unattractive  as  any.  But  the  very  places 
are  shown  where  each  incident  in  the  progress  of  Christ  from 
the  judgment  hall  to  Calvary  took  place.  Here  the  Saviour 
sank  under  the  weight  of  the  cross ;  here  Simon  of  Cyrene 
was  compelled  to  assume  the  burden ;  here  is  the  house  of 
Lazarus  as  well  as  that  of  Dives ;  here  is  the  house  and  tomb 
of  Veronica,  the  saint  on  whose  handkerchief  was  imprinted 
the  likeness  of  the  Christ  when  she  wiped  the  sweat  from  His 
brow. 

The  last  five  stations  are  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepul- 
chre. They  mark  the  places  where  Christ  was  disrobed,  where 
He  was  nailed  to  the  cross,  where  the  cross  was  raised,  where 
He  was  taken  down  from  the  cross  and  where  He  was  buried. 

Thousands  of  pilgrims  come  every  year  and  visit  time  and 
again  all  the  places  marked  as  holy  along  this  "way."  For 
them  it  is  all  very  real.  Their  tears  are  tears  of  sorrow  and 
their  prayers  prayers  of  faith.  They  never  doubt  the  accuracy 
of  the  locations,  and  do  not  know  that  these  sacred  sites  were 
not  so  considered  until  the  fourteenth  century,  nor  that  there  is 
not  the  slightest  historical  evidence  to  sustain  their  genuineness. 

Pool  of  Hezekiah. — Christian  street  is  the  cleanest  and  most 
attractive  in  the  city.  The  shops  along  it  are  superior  in  ap- 
pearance and  in  fact.  Going  into  almost  any  one  of  these  on 
the  left  as  one  approaches  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  a  view  can  be 
had  of  the  most  important  pool  in  the  city — the  pool  of  Heze- 
kiah. The  good  king  is  supposed  to  have  constructed  it,  and 
for  centuries  its  identity  was  not  questioned.  An  aqueduct 
leads  to  it  from  the  Mamilla  Pool,  or  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon, 
which  is  in  the  large  Moslem  cemetery,  northwest  of  the  town. 
If  this  Mamilla  Pool  was  "  the  upper  water  course  of  Gihon," 
which  "  Hezekiah  stopped,"  x  then  there  is  no  doubt  about  the 
identification  of  this  pool  as  Hezekiah's ;  if  it  is  not,  the  points 

1  2  Chron.  xxxii.  30. 


224  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

of  resemblance  are  at  least  striking.  But  this  is  one  more  in- 
stance where  certainty  is  not  possible. 

Hezekiah's  Pool,  as  it  now  appears,  is  eighty  yards  long  by 
forty-eight  wide  and  three  deep,  estimating  the  depth  from  the 
level  of  the  street.  In  winter,  after  the  heavy  rains,  it  is 
quite  an  artificial  lake,  though  in  midsummer  it  is  generally 
dry.  Its  waters  are  used  by  the  people  living  near  it  and  sup- 
ply also  the  large  "Bath  of  the  Patriarch"  near  at  hand; 
hence  it  is  often  called  the  Pool  of  the  Patriarch's  Bath.  Ac- 
cording to  Mejr-ed-Din,  an  Arabic  historian,  it  was  known  to 
the  early  Moslems,  and  for  long  time  after,  as  the  Birket 
Iyad.  This  Iyad  was  one  of  the  Prophet's  companions ;  he 
entered  Jerusalem  with  Omar,  and  having  reconstructed  the 
Pool,  he  was  honored  by  having  it  named  after  him.  It  is 
generally  regarded  as  the  Amygdalon  Pool — the  tower  pool — 
of  Josephus. 

The  new  theory  of  Jerusalem  topography — which  relieves 
none  of  the  many  difficulties — asserts  that  this  pool  has  no 
right  to  the  name  by  which  it  is  popularly  known  and  informs 
us  that  what  is  now  called  the  Pool  of  Siloam  is  the  real  Pool 
of  Hezekiah. 

Pool  of  Bethesda. — Just  outside  the  north  wall  of  the  Haram 
may  be  seen  the  traditional  Pool  of  Bethesda,  or  rather  where 
the  Pool  once  was.  It  was  372  feet  long,  by  126  feet  wide, 
and  its  depth,  measuring  from  the  level  of  the  Mosque  area,  is 
sixty-eight  feet.  This  Pool  was  situated  in  a  valley  which  an- 
ciently extended  in  a  northwesterly  direction  till  it  joined  the 
Tyropean.  This  valley  has  been'  filled  with  debris  and  the 
Pool  is  suffering  a  similar  fate,  in  some  places  being  already 
on  a  level  with  the  street.  Only  after  a  heavy  rain  will  any 
water  be  seen  in  it,  and  then  only  covering  a  small  place  close 
to  the  Haram  wall. 

In  calling  this  by  the  ancient  name  Bethesda  we  are  follow- 
ing an  old,  but  by  no  means  universally  accepted,  tradition. 
Early  pilgrims  also  called  it  "  the  Sheep  Pool,"  erroneously 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  225 

believing  that  the  present  St.  Stephen's  Gate  occupies  the  site 
of  the  Sheep  Gate.  Recent  discoveries  have  led  to  the  belief 
that  the  real  pool  of  this  name  was  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Anne.  That  the  Crusaders  regarded  this  latter 
as  Bethesda  is  argued  from  the  fact  that  they  built  five 
"porches  "  about  it,  thus  making  it  correspond  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  John  v.  2.  These  "porches"  still  remain  and  seem 
to  have  been  rebuilt  on  ancient  foundations.  A  picture  of  an 
angel  troubling  the  waters  still  remains,  the  wings  and  part  of 
the  body  being  easily  made  out. 

The  traditional  pool  is  now  called  Birket  Israel.  In  and 
near  it  Captain  Warren  made  some  interesting  explorations — 
interesting  in  that  they  revealed  in  the  lower  courses  of  the 
northern  Haram  wall  masonry  similar  to  that  in  the  southeast 
angle.  Characters  in  red  paint  were  also  found  here,  which 
certainly  indicate  great  antiquity.  A  passage-way  was  also 
discovered  leading  into  an  aqueduct  which  formerly  carried 
the  water  from  the  pool,  underground,  through  part  of  the 
temple  enclosure,  and  discharged  it  into  the  Kedron  valley. 
The  existence  of  such  an  aqueduct  points  to  a  time  when 
water  was  abundant  in  this  pool,  for  its  exit  is  twenty-five  feet 
above  the  bottom.  The  water  in  the  pool  could  consequently 
never  rise  higher  than  this. 

There  are  interesting  discoveries  awaiting  the  pick  of  the 
explorer  in  this  northeast  angle,  just  as  there  are  in  every  part 
of  the  Haram  area.  But  the  explorer  has  to  wait,  for  this  is 
one  of  the  very  holiest  places  of  Mohammedanism,  and  as 
long  as  it  remains  so  no  permission  to  excavate  will  be  given, 
nor  will  its  owners  do  such  work  themselves. 

Tombs  of  the  Kings. — It  may  not  be  pleasant  to  contem- 
plate, but  is,  nevertheless,  a  fact,  that  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
stands  in  the  center  of  an  immense  cemetery.  There  are 
tombs  on  every  side;  hardly  a  building  is  erected  in  the 
newer  parts  without  discovering  in  the  excavations  for  the 
foundation  the  rock-hewn  resting-place  of  some  former  resi- 


226  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

dent  of  the  ancient  city.  It  is  difficult  to  assign  the  date  to 
many  of  these  tombs  in  the  rocks,  though  there  are  marks 
which  indicate  that  they  cannot  be  later  than  a  certain  time. 
But  many  of  these  tombs  have  been  repeatedly  used  and 
during  the  ages  may  have  been  altered  to  accord  with  the 
ideas  of  sepulture  which  prevailed  at  the  time. 

The  most  interesting  as  well  as  the  best  preserved  are  those 
known  as  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  situated  about  half  a  mile 
directly  north  of  the  Damascus  Gate.  A  French  inscription 
just  over  the  door  of  entrance  tells  us  that  these  are  the  tombs 
of  the  Kings  of  Judah.  Ignorance  or  deception  placed  this 
notice  where  it  is  and  indifference  keeps  it  there.  The  place 
is  interesting  enough  without  ascribing  to  it  any  fictitious 
value.  The  tradition  calling  these  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  is 
not  older  than  the  fourteenth  century. 

These  tombs  are  now  generally  considered  as  those  of  Queen 
Helena,  of  Adiabene,  and  her  family.  Josephus  locates  the 
burial-place  of  this  queen  here.  She  was  a  convert  to  Juda- 
ism, having  while  in  her  own  land,  become  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  that  religion.  On  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mom- 
baz,  in  48  a.  d.,  she  removed  to  Jerusalem  with  her  son  Izates 
and  resided  here  for  some  years.  On  a  visit  to  her  country 
she  died,  but  her  body  was  brought  to  the  city  she  loved  and 
buried  here.  It  is  said  that  Izates  was  the  father  of  twenty- 
four  sons,  which,  if  true,  would  account  for  the  number  of 
resting  places  in  the  tomb. 

A  flight  of  twenty-four  steps  cut  in  the  rock  leads  down  to 
the  level  where  an  entrance  to  the  tomb  proper  is  effected. 
At  the  foot  of  these  steps  are  several  large  cisterns  where  the 
ablutions  preliminary  to  burial  were  no  doubt  performed.  Pass- 
ing then  through  a  door  on  the  left  which  pierces  a  wall  of 
native  rock  one  is  in  a  large  rectangular  space  fronting  the 
facade  of  the  tombs.  On  this  facade  is  some  of  the  very 
finest  ornamental  carving  that  remains  from  ancient  times. 
The  character  of  this  and  the  subjects  depicted — such  as  clus- 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  227 

ters  of  grapes,  so  common  on  Jewish  coins — has  assisted  in 
identifying  the  tombs  as  Jewish.  De  Sauley  did  most  of 
the  work  of  recovering  and  planning  these  tombs.  In  his 
work  of  excavation  several  beautiful  sarcophagi  were  found, 
which  were  transported  to  Paris  and  may  now  be  seen  in  the 
Louvre. 

A  doorway  on  the  left,  some  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
vestibule,  conducts  into  the  main  chamber.  From  this  low 
passages — not  easy  to  follow — lead  off  in  three  directions  to  the 
smaller  chambers  where  the  loculi — places  where  bodies  were 
laid — may  be  seen.  The  evident  care  which  was  taken  in  the 
making  of  these  tombs,  together  with  the  variety  of  ornamen- 
tation, leaves  no  doubt  that  they  were  intended  for  persons  of 
great  wealth  and  importance. 

Solomon's  Quarry. — A  hundred  yards  east  of  the  Damascus 
Gate  is  a  high  cliff  made  by  a  wide  excavation  which  sepa- 
rates Bezetha  from  the  New  Calvary  hill.  Just  at  its  base 
where  the  cliff  is  highest  is  a  small  door  leading  into  the  larg- 
est cavern  near  the  city.  The  name  given  to  this  by  the  Mos- 
lems is  "The  Cotton  Grotto"  because  of  the  unusual  white- 
ness of  rock  in  which  it  is  cut.  The  common  appellation  for 
it  is  Solomon's  Quarry,  assuming,  and  not  without  reason, 
that  it  was  here  that  royal  builder  procured  the  stone  for  his 
great  works.  For  centuries  all  knowledge  of  the  existence  of 
this  artificial  cavern  was  lost.  Since  it  was  recovered,  in  1852, 
it  has  been  a  place  all  visitors  wish  to  see.  And  it  is  worth  see- 
ing in  itself  apart  from  any  connection  it  may  have  with  any 
of  the  great  builders  of  antiquity. 

The  quarry  extends  southward  under  the  city  for  nearly 
seven  hundred  feet.  At  some  places  the  roof  is  so  low  that 
one  has  to  stoop  in  order  to  pass;  in  others  so  high  that  the 
light  of  the  candles  is  swallowed  up  in  the  darkness.  Here 
and  there  large  natural  pillars  are  left  to  support  the  roof,  but 
these  have  not  prevented  the  loose  rock  from  falling  and  as 
one  passes  a  spot  where  such  a  fall  has  occurred  it  sends  a 


228  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

shudder  through  him  at  thought  of  the  possibility  of  a  similar 
catastrophe  occurring  during  his  visit.  But  none  has  oc- 
curred that  has  proved  fatal  to  visitors ;  through  carelessness 
persons  have  been  seriously  injured  and  at  least  one  death  has 
resulted.  As  there  are  dangerous  pitfalls  from  which  the  rock 
has  been  taken  and  which  have  never  been  filled  up,  a  person 
well  acquainted  with  the  "cave"  should  accompany  every 
party. 

The  stone  to  be  had  in  this  quarry  is  exceedingly  white  and 
beautiful.  It  is  soft  and  hence  can  be  easily  taken  out.  By 
the  markings  in  the  rock  the  ancient  method  of  quarrying 
may  be  understood.  By  means  of  a  pick,  or  similar  tool,  a 
deep  groove  was  cut  in  the  face  of  the  rock  to  the  width  de- 
sired. This  was  followed  by  parallel  grooves.  It  was  then  an 
easy  matter  when  one  stone  was  removed  for  all  the  rest  in  its 
tier  to  be  taken  out.  This  was  done  by  making  a  small  niche 
in  the  rock,  driving  in  a  wooden  wedge  and  then  pouring 
water  on  the  wedge  which,  as  the  wood  swelled,  split  the 
stone.  All  through  the  quarries  are  small  shelves  on  which 
stood  the  earthen  lamps  that  gave  light  to  the  laborers. 

This  cavern  is  of  special  interest  to  the  Masonic  Order. 
Small  and  large  parties  of  this  fraternity  visit  the  city  every 
year  and  seem  to  find  their  chief  delight  in  the  gloomy  re- 
cesses where  they  hold,  many  of  them,  that  Masonry  was  in- 
stituted by  King  Solomon  himself.  Many  a  bit  of  the  white 
stone,  large  enough  to  be  worked  into  an  emblem  of  the  Or- 
der, finds  its  way  into  the  trunks  of  the  brethren  and  is  care- 
fully guarded  till  it  takes  its  place  among  the  sacred  relics  of 
the  home  lodge.  Several  large  blocks  have  been  lately  shipped 
to  various  cities  in  America,  destined  to  be  worked  into  some 
Masonic  Temple. 

From  descriptions  of  the  temples,  which  at  various  periods 
of  Jerusalem's  history  have  graced  the  Mount  Moriah,  it 
seems  but  reasonable  to  believe  that  the  stone  that  formed 
them  was  procured  here.     There  is  no  stone  like  it,  none  so 


Some  Places  of  Special  Interest  229 

beautiful,  in  the  vicinity.  The  quarry  is  very  near  the  place 
where  the  temple  stood  and  by  making  a  surface  opening  in 
its  southern  extremity  the  distance  of  transportation  would  be 
very  short.  We  are  told  in  1  Kings  vi.  7,  that  the  temple 
was  erected  without  sound  of  "any  tool  of  iron  heard  in  the 
house,"  and  was  "of  stone  ready  made  before  it  was  brought 
thither."  This  preparatory  work  could  easily  have  been  done 
in  the  quarry,  almost  on  the  very  site  of  the  Holy  House,  and 
yet  no  sound  be  heard  within  the  sacred  enclosure.  There  is 
no  good  reason  for  doubting  that  here  the  whiteness  was  pro- 
cured that  helped  to  produce  the  "vision  of  snow  and  gold  " 
that  stood  on  Mount  Moriah. 


EXCAVATIONS  IN  JERUSALEM 


Constantine's  Labors — History  of  Early  Explorations — Dr. 
Edward  Robinson — Canon  George  Williams — Ordnance  Sur- 
vey— Conrad  Schick — Topographical  Certainties — Uncertain- 
ties— Unanswered  Questions — Sir  Charles  Warren — Results 
Satisfactory — Rock  Levels — Tyropean  Valley — Mount  Moriah 
— Kedron  Valley — Ophel — Siloam  Aqueduct — Siloam  Inscrip- 
tion— Palestine  Exploration  Fund's  Work — Dr.  Bliss  and  Mr. 
Dickie — Excavations  on  Southern  Brow  of  Zion — Walls — 
Jewish  Cemetery — At  Siloam  Pool — Siloam  Church — Endo- 
cia's  Wall — Other  Excavations. 


232 


XIII 

EXCAVATIONS   IN   JERUSALEM 

SINCE  the  days  of  Constantine,  when  that  which  is  now 
called  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was  brought  to  light,  many 
efforts  have  been  made  to  reveal  the  secrets  which  the  debris 
of  many  centuries  had  kept  so  carefully.  Doubt  rests  upon 
Constantine's  results  and  upon  those  of  many  later  delvers  in 
and  near  the  city.  But  the  uncertainty  of  results  has  not 
chilled  the  ardor  with  which  explorers  of  more  recent  times 
have  entered  upon  their  tasks. 

A  brief  list  of  the  lovers  of  Jerusalem  who  visited  the  city 
since  it  became  prominent  as  a  center  of  Christian  activity  and 
who  have  left  a  record  of  what  it  was  in  their  time  may  be  of 
interest. 

The  Bordeaux  Pilgrim  was  in  Jerusalem  in  333.  In  the 
"  Itinerary  "  he  gives  us  his  account  of  what  the  city  then  was. 
Eusebius,  a  contemporary  of  the  Pilgrim  fully  describes  the 
Church  of  the  Resurrection  in  his  "Life  of  Constantine." 
Arculfus  about  the  close  of  the  same  century  gives  very  distinct 
testimony  as  to  the  sepulchre,  and  there  are  many  allusions  to 
localities  in  the  Letters  of  Jerome  and  in  the  Homilies  of  St. 
Cyril.  In  the  fifth  century  (427-440)  the  important  tract  of 
Eucherius  and  several  notices  in  the  works  of  Ephanius  were 
written.  Procopius  and  Theodosius  are  the  authorities  for  the 
sixth  century.  Toward  the  close  of  the  seventh  century  (680) 
Arculfus  recorded  the  impressions  received  during  his  pil- 
grimage. St.  Willibald  belongs  to  the  eighth  century  and  Ber- 
nard the  Wise  to  the  ninth.  These,  with  Soewolf  (1102),  de- 
scribe the  city's  appearance  before  its  rebuilding  under  the 
Crusaders. 

233 


234  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

In  the  history  written  by  William  of  Tyre  Jerusalem  topog- 
raphy is  frequently  alluded  to,  and  in  the  twelfth  century 
Fetellus  (1150)  and  Theodoricus  (1172)  give  their  accounts. 
The  same  century  furnishes  us  with  some  Jewish  tracts,  the 
most  important  of  which  is  that  of  Benjamin  of  Tudela. 

Brocardus  in  1283  is  an  authority  for  his  time,  and  Sir 
John  Mandeville  (1322)  was,  until  recently,  highly  regarded. 
Mejr-ed-Din,  the  historian,  about  1495  gives  the  best  account 
from  an  Arab  standpoint,  while  in  the  same  century,  though 
somewhat  earlier,  John  Poloner  recounts  his  impressions  from 
a  Christian  point  of  view.  In  16 16  a  Latin  monk,  named 
Quaresmius,  wrote  an  account  based  on  tradition.  Henry 
Maundrell's  account  written  in  1697  is  considered  a  valuable 
document.  Reland  (17 14),  Pococke  (1737)  and  Chateau- 
briand (1807)  bring  us  to  the  beginning  of  this  century  and 
the  inception  of  critical  and  scientific  investigations  concern- 
ing the  topography  of  the  Holy  City. 

The  above  list  by  no  means  gives  the  names  of  all  those  who 
during  these  centuries  have  left  on  record  what  they  had  seen 
in  Jerusalem  or  heard  from  those  who  had  seen.  It  comprises 
simply  those  upon  whom  modern  students  generally  rely.  A 
work  of  unknown  authorship,  dating  from  11 90,  and  first  pub- 
lished in  Count  Beugnot's  "Assises  de  Jerusalem  "  in  1843, 
gives  a  topographical  description  of  the  city  as  it  was  when 
Saladin  finally  wrested  it  from  the  Crusaders. 

The  honor  of  the  first  real  scientific  exploration  of  sacred 
sites  in  Palestine  belongs  to  the  American  scholar  and  traveller, 
Dr.  Edward  Robinson.  He  began  his  work  in  this  line  in 
1838,  and  soon  became  so  dissatisfied  with  the  proofs  that  were 
presented  to  him  that  he  was  compelled  to  regard  as  utterly 
worthless  the  entire  mass  of  monkish  traditions  that  were  ad- 
duced in  the  support  of  localities.  His  results  were  conclusive 
to  the  great  majority  of  Bible  Land  students,  though  he  found 
a  worthy  opponent  in  the  English  traditionalist  Canon  George 
Williams,  whose  work  "The  Holy  City" — a  monument  of 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  235 

history  and  topography — appeared  in  1849.  German  scholars, 
notable  among  whom  are  Thrupp  (1855),  and  Tobler  (1845- 
1855)  added  to  existing  information.  Other  names  of  promi- 
nence about  this  time  are  Fergusson,  Willis,  Barclay,  Stanley, 
De  Sauley,  Vandevelde  and  the  Due  de  Vogue. 

While  the  labors  of  all  these  are  important  and  their  writings 
are  authoritative,  the  later  explorations  conducted  by  the 
Ordnance  Survey  at  the  expense  of  Lady  Burdett-Coutts,  and 
published  in  1866,  have  rendered  the  work  of  all  but  Dr. 
Robinson  and  the  Due  de  Vogue,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent, 
obsolete.  Since  then  the  society  known  as  the  Palestine  Ex- 
ploration Fund  have  been  the  principal  workers  in  this  field. 
The  most  indefatigable  individual  worker  is  Dr.  Conrad 
Schick,  who  has  resided  in  Jerusalem  for  fifty  years  and  is  prob- 
ably better  acquainted  with  the  city  than  any  other  living  per- 
son. Along  with  these  must  be  mentioned  the  excavations  on 
Ophel  made  by  Dr.  Guthe,  in  1881,  and  the  exploration  of  the 
well-known  Zion  scarp  by  Mr.  Henry  Maudsley  in  1874.  The 
clearing  of  the  Muristan  by  the  German  Government  in  1873 
disclosed  this  part  of  the  city.  While  these  practical  ex- 
plorers have  been  at  work  seeking  to  increase  our  knowledge 
of  Jerusalem  and  its  environs  by  actual  excavations,  there  has 
been  a  class  of  theorizers,  no  less  numerous,  who  have  ad- 
vanced opinions  as  to  the  city's  topography,  some  of  which  are 
ingenious,  some  absurd.  The  number  of  this  latter  class  and 
the  confusion  resulting  from  their  numerous  hypotheses  have 
led  the  general  reader  into  the  belief  that  there  is  nothing  cer- 
tain in  modern  localizations  of  the  ancient  famous  places  and 
buildings.  While  a  great  deal  of  uncertainty  really  does  exist, 
it  is  an  unwarranted  statement  to  say  that  there  is  nothing  sure. 

We  are  certain  that  the  ridge  facing  the  Temple  Hill  on  the 
east  is  the  Mount  of  Olives ;  that  the  valley  between  these  two 
hills  is  the  valley  of  the  Kedron.  There  is  no  reasonable  doubt 
that  the  hill  within  the  city,  and  known  as  Mt.  Moriah,  is 
that  on  which  the  temple  stood.     The  valley  that  separates 


236  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Mt.  Moriah  from  the  modern  Zion  is  conceded  to  be  the 
Tyropean  of  Josephus.  No  one  questions  that  the  Pool  of 
Siloam  is  properly  named,  or  that  Ophel  is  the  southern  slope 
of  Mt.  Moriah.  The  east  wall  of  the  Haram  enclosure  is 
recognized  as  being  part  of  the  wall  of  the  ancient  city,  and 
the  present  southwest  corner  of  the  Haram  enclosure  marks  the 
limits  of  the  ancient  temple  area  in  this  direction.  The  modern 
citadel,  known  as  David's  Tower,  is  located  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  royal  fortresses  built  by  Herod.  The  Zion  scarp 
in  the  Protestant  cemetery  is  the  old  southwest  angle  of  the 
city. 

These  are  settled  points.  They  are  not  numerous,  but  it  is 
some  satisfaction  to  know  that  concerning  them  there  is  a  har- 
mony of  opinion  among  writers  on  Jerusalem.  The  unsettled 
points  are  many.  At  the  same  time  they  may  be  included  in 
four  main  questions.  First,  Where  was  the  City  of  David,  on 
modern  Zion,  or  on  Ophel,  just  south  of  the  temple  area? 
Second,  What  was  the  extent  of  the  city  at  its  greatest  pros- 
perity, or  just  before  its  destruction  by  Titus  in  70  a.  d? 
Third,  What  was  the  area  included  within  the  temple  walls 
and  just  where  within  this  area  did  the  temple  itself  stand? 
Fourth,  What  is  the  true  site  of  Calvary  and  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  ? 

On  all  these  questions  authorities  differ.  The  only  key  to 
the  solution  of  the  first  will  be  the  discovery  of  the  Tomb  of 
David.  This  we  know  was  in  the  city  of  David.  Efforts  have 
been  made  to  locate  these  royal  sepulchres,  but  without  success. 
Of  late  authorities  have  been  inclining  to  accept  the  eastern 
hill  south  of  the  temple  area  as  the  true  site  of  the  ancient 
city.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  such  an  acceptance 
are  many.  To  recognize  the  summit  of  Zion  as  being 
the  place  selected  for  his  city  by  Israel's  warrior  king  is  not 
without  its  objections  either.  While  I  hold  to  this  latter 
opinion,  it  is  only  an  opinion  whose  tenure  depends  upon  the 
pick  of  the  excavator. 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  237 

The  answer  to  the  second  question  depends  upon  the  dis- 
covery of  the  ancient  walls.  On  the  south  the  wall  is  now 
fairly  well  known.  The  recent  excavations  of  Doctor  Bliss,  con- 
ducted under  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund  during  the  years 
1893  to  1897,  have  traced  this  wall  from  the  scarp  at  the 
southwest  corner,  in  the  Protestant  cemetery,  along  the  south- 
ern brow  of  the  Zion  hill,  eastward  to  and  including  the  Pool 
of  Siloam.  There  is  still  some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  wall 
thus  traced  was  ancient,  but  there  is  no  room  for  dispute  that 
at  some  time  in  its  history  the  city  extended  thus  far  in  this 
direction.  Nor  is  there  any  doubt  that  the  wall — a  double 
wall — exposed  south  of  the  Siloam  Pool  is  ancient. 

The  east  wall  as  far  as  the  northeast  angle  of  the  temple  en- 
closure, and  the  west  wall  as  far  north  as  the  present  Jaffa  Gate 
are  regarded  as  occupying  the  positions  of  the  ancient  city 
walls.  But  the  walls  to  the  north,  of  which  there  were  three, 
erected  at  different  periods,  are  under  consideration  and  will 
probably  remain  so  for  a  long  time.  The  most  important  of 
these,  and  the  one  that  has  given  rise  to  the  greatest  dis- 
cussion, is  the  Second  Wall.  Its  importance  is  due  to  its 
relation  to  the  site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  Church. 

Concerning  the  third  question  as  to  the  area  of  the  temple 
enclosure  and  the  exact  position  of  the  Holy  House  we  must 
wait  for  answer  upon  the  result  of  explorations  yet  to  be  made. 
The  excavations  of  Sir  Charles  Warren,  which  resulted  in  the 
discovery  of  the  large  wall  on  Ophel,  favors  those  who  believe 
that  the  temple  area  was  a  square  measuring  one  thousand  feet 
on  each  side.  The  line  of  this  wall  discovered  by  Warren 
joins  the  Haram  wall  at  the  southeast  angle  and  thus  corre- 
sponds with  a  statement  in  Josephus,  which  informs  us  that  the 
Ophel  wall  joined  the  east  cloister  of  Herod's  Temple.  The 
opposite  opinion  is  that  the  temple  area  was  a  square  of  about 
six  hundred  feet  on  each  side. 

The  actual  site  of  the  temple  itself  is  not  known  and  as  long 


238  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

as  the  Moriah  hill  remains  a  Moslem  sacred  place  will  not  be 
known. 

As  regards  the  fourth  question,  namely,  the  true  site  of 
Calvary  and  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  it  has  been  sufficiently 
dwelt  upon  in  the  chapters  on  "The  Holy  Sepulchre"  and 
"The  New  Calvary." 

Concerning  the  rest  of  the  city  and  its  immediate  environs 
there  is  hardly  a  square  rod  that  has  not  been  examined  by 
some  enterprising  student  of  topography ;  excepting  only  sites 
considered  holy  by  the  Moslems.  Unfortunately  these  ex- 
ceptions cover  most  interesting  places,  as  for  example,  the 
Mosque  area  and  the  traditional  site  of  the  Tomb  of  David. 
In  all  firmans  granted  to  individuals  or  societies,  giving  per- 
mission to  excavate,  absolute  prohibition  against  touching 
these  sacred  places  is  invariable.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
most  interesting  exploring  is  still  to  be  done. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  these  prohibitions  and  of  other  hin- 
drances and  inconveniences  the  results  of  recent  explorations 
have  been  numerous  and  satisfactory.  It  will  be  possible  to 
mention  these  only  in  a  general  way ;  in  the  various  volumes 
published  by,  and  in  the  Quarterly  Reports  of  the  Palestine 
Exploration  Fund  they  may  be  found  in  detail. 

A  very  important  preliminary  to  the  proper  study  of 
Jerusalem  was  the  ascertaining  of  the  levels  of  the  rock  foun- 
dations upon  which  the  city  was  built.  This  work  was  done 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Conder  principally,  though  he  was 
assisted  by  the  previous  labors  of  Doctor  Schick  and  Sir 
Charles  Wilson.  These  rock  levels  give  an  idea  of  the  con- 
tour of  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Jerusalem  before  they  were 
selected  by  men  as  suitable  ground  for  the  building  of  a  city. 
They  reveal  the  depth  of  the  debris  that  has  been  accumulated 
during  the  city's  history. 

Having  once  obtained  these  levels  the  explorer  could  easily 
see  how  much  change  had  come  over  the  surface  contour,  and 
how  necessary  it  was  to  take  this  alteration  into  account  in 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  239 

considering  the  descriptions  of  the  city's  topography  as 
recorded  in  the  Bible  and  in  Josephus.  It  gives  us  the  approx- 
imate height  of  the  hills,  the  depth  and  width  of  the  valleys  as 
they  were  in  earlier  days.  One  of  the  results  of  seeking  for 
these  levels  was  the  revelation  of  the  important  valley  that  be- 
gan near  the  Jaffa  Gate  and  descended  into,  the  Tyropean. 
There  has  been  so  much  accumulation  here  that  this  valley, 
which  many  consider  the  true  commencement  of  the  Tyropean, 
was  quite  forgotten.  It  was  originally  a  considerable  gorge 
and  gave  to  the  lower  part  of  the  northwestern  hill  a  "  gib- 
bous ' '  form. 

The  main  part  of  the  Tyropean  valley  has  been  partially 
excavated.  The  accumulations  of  rubbish  here  are  of  great 
depth.  Vaults  and  pools  and  passages  constructed  of  large 
and  well-dressed  stones  exist  beneath  the  present  surface.  The 
modern  Street  of  the  Chain  crosses  this  valley  on  a  causeway, 
beneath  which  is  a  long  passage  that  has  been  called  the 
Secret  Passage.  North  of  this  are  two  parallel  rows  of  vaults 
dating  from  pre-Saracenic  times  as  is  seen  from  repairs 
evidently  Saracenic.  When  these  vaults  were  constructed 
their  course  was  hindered  by  a  large  building  made  of  drafted 
stones.  This  structure  is  no  doubt  one  of  the  oldest  pieces  of 
masonry  in  Jerusalem  and  is  called  the  Ancient  Hall. 

And  so  following  the  whole  course  of  this  Tyropean  Valley 
until  it  merges  into  the  Kedron  valley  the  excavator  has 
found  a  most  fertile  soil.  Foundations  of  buildings,  cisterns 
and  drains  show  the  immensity  of  the  work  that  has  been  ex- 
pended upon  it  at  various  periods  of  the  history  of  the  city. 
A  large  part  of  it  is  outside  the  present  walls,  as  in  fact  is  a 
large  part  of  the  ground  covered  by  the  ancient  city. 

There  was  also  in  early  times  a  considerable  valley  north  of 
the  temple  area  which  assisted  in  the  protection  of  the  sacred 
enclosure.  This  commences  north  of  the  present  wall  of  the 
city,  descends  in  a  southerly  direction  and  turns  to  the  east 
just   west   of  the  Church  of  Saint  Anne,  shortly  afterward 


240  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

merging  into  the  Kedron.  This  valley  is  mentioned  by 
Josephus  in  the  Antiquities  xiv.  4,  2,  and  in  the  Wars  1,  7,  3. 
Pompey  sought  to  fill  up  this  valley  and  found  it  a  serious  un- 
dertaking. The  great  reservoir,  commonly  called,  though 
erroneously,  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  lies  in  this  valley.  The 
natives  term  it  Birket  Israel,  or  Pool  of  Israel.  It  extends 
along  the  north  wall  of  the  Mosque  enclosure  for  360  feet  and 
has  a  breadth  of  126  feet  and  depth  of  eighty  feet.  It  is,  how- 
ever, rapidly  being  filled  up  by  refuse  and  part  of  it,  never 
covered  by  water,  is  being  used  as  a  vegetable  garden. 

The  excavations  just  outside  the  walls  of  the  Mosque  area, 
and  the  several  examinations  of  the  cistern  within  the  en- 
closure which  have  been  permitted  by  the  Moslem  custodians 
enable  us  to  have  a  reasonably  correct  idea  of  the  original 
contour  of  Mount  Moriah.  The  summit  was  the  sacred  rock 
now  under  the  Dome.  From  this  the  rock  shelved  off  on  all 
sides,  except  at  the  northwest  corner  where  the  rock  was 
prominent  and  on  which  now  stands  the  Turkish  barracks  oc- 
cupying the  old  site  of  the  Tower  of  Antonia.  A  neck  of 
rock  formerly  joined  Mount  Moriah  to  Bezetha,  but  this  was 
artificially  cut  through  at  an  early  date. 

The  Kedron  valley  has  witnessed  many  attempts  at  excava- 
tion. Great  difficulties  were  experienced  here  and  owing  to 
the  loose  nature  of  the  debris  always  will  be.  Mixed  with  the 
soil  is  an  immense  amount  of  stone  chippings,  which  prevent 
the  soil  from  cohering  and  make  deep  excavating  dangerous. 
Unfortunately  only  deep  excavating  is  of  any  value  here  for 
the  depth  of  the  debris,  which  is  all  comparatively  modern, 
is  great  and  any  discoveries  that  will  throw  light  upon  ancient 
times  are  found  beneath  this. 

The  original  bed  of  the  Kedron  is  forty  feet  west  of  the 
present.  The  unstable  nature  of  the  debris  has  gradually 
forced  it  thus  far  to  the  east,  at  the  same  time  filling  up  the 
bed  and  raising  its  surface  about  twelve  feet.  A  wall  built  for 
the  purpose  of  retaining  the  accumulations  on  the  west  has 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  241 

been  uncovered  just  west  of  the  true  bed.  It  has  long  been 
overcome  by  the  moving  mass,  which  has  forced  itself  east- 
ward until  it  threatens  to  cover  and  hide  from  view  the  many 
tombs  of  the  Hebrews  that  were  thought  to  have  been  buried 
at  a  safe  distance  from  the  winter  brook. 

This  eastern  wall  of  the  sanctuary  has  been  already  ex- 
amined and  some  of  the  results  of  subterranean  investigation 
mentioned.  But  what  is  known,  compared  to  what  is  yet  to 
be  revealed,  is  very  little.  The  cause  of  this  ignorance  is  the 
presence  of  what  is  always  a  bane  to  explorers,  a  Moslem 
cemetery.  This  extends  over  a  large  part  of  the  ground  be- 
tween the  southeast  corner  of  the  wall  and  St.  Stephen's  Gate. 
North  of  the  Golden  Gate,  however,  it  is  known  that  the 
depth  of  the  debris  is  125  feet,  and  that  the  wall  is  built  up 
from  the  native  rock  foundation.  This  was  learned  only  after 
most  laborious  excavation  by  Sir  Charles  Warren.  Perhaps, 
as  Warren  has  supposed,  if  excavating  could  be  done  in  the 
Moslem  cemetery  and  along  the  wall  the  huge  stones — twenty 
cubits  long  by  six  cubits  thick — which  Solomon  placed  on  this 
side  would  be  uncovered. 

The  Ophel  hill,  which  is  but  the  southern  slope  of  Moriah, 
is  very  different  in  appearance  from  what  it  was  when  it  was 
within  the  city  proper.  It  is  now  covered  by  gardens  that  are 
tilled  in  rich  soil  that  overlies  the  houses  of  former  Jerusalem- 
ites.  And  where  the  solemn  priests  once  wended  their  way  to 
the  temple  and  its  services  the  Fellahin  now  delve  and  guard 
their  small  patches  of  ground.  Amid  the  gardens  Warren 
discovered  the  Ophel  wall  which  has  a  width  at  its  base  of 
fifteen  feet  and  at  its  top  of  twelve  feet.  This  wall  was  followed 
southward  for  seventy-six  feet  where  it  turned  to  the  west  and 
continued  for  700  feet.  Several  towers  of  great  strength  were 
observed.  Among  the  many  interesting  antiquities  that  were 
found  within  this  wall  was  a  cavern  containing  fullers'  vats, 
very  near  to  the  traditional  place  where  Saint  James  was  thrown 
from  the  temple  wall  and  killed  by  a  fuller's  club. 


242  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

The  Siloam  aqueduct  is  interesting  in  showing  the  early 
engineering  of  the  Jews.  This  aqueduct  extends  from  the 
Virgin's  Fountain  through  the  spur  of  Ophel  to  the  Pool  of 
Siloam.  The  distance  between  the  Fountain  and  the  Pool  is, 
in  a  straight  line,  about  900  feet.  But  the  course  followed  by 
the  conduit  makes  it  1,708  feet.  Why  this  tortuous  route  was 
taken  has  given  rise  to  conjecture,  some  supposing  it  was  taken 
intentionally  in  order  to  avoid  the  tombs  of  the  kings.  But 
there  is  no  evidence  whatever  that  these  tombs  are  on  this 
ridge  of  Ophel,  and  it  is  more  likely  that  the  great  length  of 
the  aqueduct  was  due  to  the  ignorance  of  its  makers  in  sub- 
terranean engineering.  This  belief  is  supported  by  the  fact 
that  openings  have  been  found  from  the  tunnel  to  the  surface, 
indicating  in  all  likelihood  that  they  were  made  in  order  that 
the  excavators  might  thus  get  their  bearings. 

Modern  explorers  have  managed  with  difficulty  to  crawl 
through  this  aqueduct.  Doctor  Robinson  was  the  first  of  these. 
Doctor  Barclay  also  succeeded  before  the  Palestine  Exploration 
Fund's  workers  under  Colonel  Warren  were  on  the  ground. 
To  the  latter,  however,  belongs  the  credit  of  having  made  a 
careful  survey  of  the  route.  With  their  great  care,  however, 
the  most  important  secret  the  tunnel  contained  was  not  dis- 
covered. This  is  what  is  now  known  as  the  Siloam  Inscrip- 
tion, and  is  the  oldest  Hebrew  inscription  in  existence.  It 
was  found  in  1880  by  a  Fellah  working  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Conrad  Schick.  This  laborer  fell  into  the  water  of  the 
tunnel  accidentally  and  happened  then  to  notice  some  lettering 
on  the  wall  cut  in  the  solid  rock.  Later  inspection  showed 
that  the  face  of  the  rock  had  been  smoothed  into  a  tablet  form 
of  about  twenty-seven  inches  square.  This  was  found  about 
fifteen  feet  from  the  Siloam  end  of  the  tunnel,  on  the  right 
side  as  one  would  enter  it. 

Several  men  of  prominence  in  Jerusalem  exploration  worked 
upon  this  inscription.  During  the  centuries  of  its  existence  a 
deposit  of  lime  had  formed  over  it.     This  Doctor  Guthe,  the 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  243 

German  authority  on  Jerusalem  topography,  removed  by  wash- 
ing the  tablet  in  a  weak  solution  of  hydrochloric  acid.  A 
"  squeeze  "  of  the  inscription  was  taken  by  Major  Conder  un- 
der great  difficulties,  he  and  his  assistant  Lieutenant  Mantell 
having  to  remain  in  an  uncomfortable  position  partially  in 
water  for  several  hours.  Professor  Sayce  had  seen  the  original 
inscription  in  situ,  but  used  as  the  basis  of  his  study  of  it  the 
squeeze  made  by  Conder.  The  following  is  Sayce's  translation 
of  the  text : 

1.  "  (Behold  the)  Excavation.  Now  this  is  the  history  of 
the  excavation.     While  the  excavators  were  still  lifting  up 

2.  "The  pick,  each  toward  his  neighbor,  and  while  there 
were  yet  three  cubits  to  (excavate,  there  was  heard)  the  voice 
of  one  man 

3.  "  Calling  to  his  neighbor,  for  there  was  an  excess  (?)  in 
the  rock  on  the  right  hand  (and  on  the  left  ?).  And  after  that 
on  the  day 

4.  "Of  excavating  the  excavators  had  struck  pick  against 
pick,  one  against  another, 

5.  "The  waters  flowed  from  the  spring  to  the  pool  for  a 
distance  of  1,200  cubits.     And  (part) 

6.  "  Of  a  cubit  was  the  height  of  the  rock  over  the  head 
of  the  excavators  " 

Each  verse  of  the  above  translation  represents  a  line  on  the 
tablet.  The  characters  are  in  ancient  Hebrew  resembling 
closely  those  on  the  Moabite  Stone.  Their  existence  sets  at 
rest  the  ignorant  assertion  that  the  early  Israelites  were  unable 
to  write. 

The  most  recent  scientific  exploring  has  been  done  by  the 
Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  with  Doctor  Fredrick  J.  Bliss  as  the 
man  in  charge.  Excavating  is  not  easy  work  and  the  Fund 
soon  found  that  an  assistant  to  Doctor  Bliss  was  necessary.  Mr. 
A.  C.  Dickie  was  the  assistant  selected.  These  two  able  and 
enthusiastic  explorers  spent  the  working  seasons  of  three  con- 
secutive years  mostly  on  the  southern  slope  of  Mount  Zion 


244  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  in  the  Tyropean  valley.  Full  reports  of  their  labors  and 
"finds"  are  given  in  the  Quarterly  Statement  of  the  Fund. 
Work  was  begun  in  the  spring  of  1894. 

Commencing  at  the  so-called  Rock  Scarp  of  Zion  this  scarp 
was  followed  for  a  considerable  distance.  Inside  the  scarp  a 
long  line  of  fine  masonry  in  situ  was  found.  A  massive  gate 
way  in  the  wall  was  uncovered,  which  is  thought  to  be  the 
Dung  Gate  of  Scripture.  A  paved  street  led  up  to  this  gate 
and  beneath  the  street  was  found  a  large  drain.  This  gate 
must  have  once  been  the  main  exit  from  the  city  to  the  south. 

No  evidence  of  a  wall  on  the  scarp  was  found.  But  the 
wall  within  was  definitely  traced  for  1,050  feet,  and  the  trac- 
ing then  had  to  be  discontinued  because  it  led  through  the 
ancient  Zion  burial-place  of  the  Jews.  In  the  wall  thus  ex- 
posed five  different  styles  of  masonry  are  recognized,  viz: — 
rubble  foundation,  roughly-dressed  stones,  smooth-faced  stones, 
drafted  stones  with  flat  centres,  drafted  stones  with  projecting 
bosses.  To  what  period  to  assign  these  various  styles  no  one 
knows  positively,  and  no  key  is  given  by  the  stones  themselves, 
as  none  bore  any  inscription  or  ornamentation.  The  masonry 
was  all  small,  but  this  fact  tells  nothing  about  the  date.  The 
probability  is  that  this  wall  represents  several  reconstructions. 
In  the  time  of  the  city's  greatest  prosperity  and  extent  a  wall 
certainly  stood  here,  and  that  it  was  a  single  wall  we  learn 
from  Josephus  who  gives  as  a  reason  for  it  the  exceeding  steep- 
ness of  the  valley  beneath  it.  In  all  probability  Hadrian's 
southern  wall  ran  on  this  line,  as  did  also  that  of  the  Crusaders', 
judging  from  Marina  Samito's  map. 

As  the  age  of  masonry  in  Jerusalem  cannot  be  positively 
told  by  the  dressing  of  the  stones,  the  assigning  of  the  build- 
ing of  this  southern  wall  to  any  particular  age  or  century  is 
impossible.  This  much  is  certain,  that  it  reveals  the  work  of 
at  least  three  periods  when  walls  were  built,  or  rebuilt,  on  this 
line  ;  also  that  it  marks  the  city's  greatest  possible  extent  in 
this  direction.     The  inference  is  safe  that  at  the  time  of  the 


Excavations  in  Jerusalem  245 

greatest  prosperity  of  Jerusalem  it  extended  as  far  south  as  at 
any  time  and  that  at  that  time — the  reign  of  Herod  the  Great 
— there  existed  a  wall  on  this  site.  That  Doctor  Bliss  in  follow- 
ing the  ruined  south  wall  was  tracing  the  route  of  a  wall  that 
was  standing  at  the  time  of  Christ  there  can  be  no  reasonable 
doubt. 

No  excavating  was  done  in  the  Jewish  cemetery  already 
mentioned,  so  the  wall  for  a  distance  of  700  feet  was  not  ex- 
amined. Just  east  of  the  cemetery  it  was  rediscovered  and 
followed,  not  without  great  difficulty,  past  a  tower  and  gate, 
along  the  brow  of  Mount  Zion  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam.  In  the 
side  excavations  that  were  made  while  the  wall  was  being  fol- 
lowed ruins  of  houses,  pools,  streets,  drains  and  stairways  cut 
in  the  rock  of  Mount  Zion  were  unearthed. 

But  perhaps  the  most  interesting  work  was  done  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  the  Siloam  Pool.  There  was  a  great  stair- 
way to  the  west  of  the  pool  consisting  of  thirty- four  steps 
"  arranged  in  a  system  of  wide  and  narrow  treads  alternately." 
Some  of  these  steps  are  cut  out  of  the  natural  rock  and  are 
much  worn  by  the  feet  of  former  generations.  These  steps 
were  the  means  of  ascent  and  descent  to  the  waters  of  the 
pool. 

Of  considerable  importance  was  the  recovery  of  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  Christian  Church,  whose  south  aisle  was  "built 
over  the  north  arcade  of  the  ancient  pool."  A  church  was 
known  to  have  been  built  here  and  the  ruins  were  thought  to 
be  hidden  under  the  debris,  but  to  Doctor  Bliss  and  architect 
Dickie  belongs  the  honor  of  unearthing  and  describing  and 
depicting  the  ruin.  The  lower  parts  of  the  building  were  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation  and  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
original  structure  were  easily  determined.  It  was  eighty-four 
feet  in  length,  fifty-one  feet  six  inches  in  width,  and  the  width 
of  the  nave  was  twenty-five  feet  ten  inches. 

This  church  was  probably  built  under  the  direction  and  by 
the  patronage  of  the  Empress  Eudocia.     When  the  Bordeaux 


246  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

Pilgrim  visited  Jerusalem  in  333  a.  d.,  there  was  no  church 
here,  or  he  certainly  would  have  noted  it,  as  he  does  describe 
the  pool  and  mentions  its  having  a  four-sided  portico.  Arcul- 
fus  in  670  was  in  Jerusalem  and  is  recognized  as  the  authority 
for  the  city's  churches  as  they  then  were.  He  does  not  men- 
tion this  church  at  Siloam.  He  does  say,  however,  that  Eu- 
docia  extended  the  walls  of  the  city  so  as  to  include  the  pool. 
It  is  known  that  this  Empress,  who  died  in  460,  spent  the  last 
ten  years  of  her  life  in  Jerusalem  and  that  she  occupied  her 
time  in  building  churches  and  strengthening  the  city  walls. 
It  is  probable  that  when  she  built  the  wall  to  include  the  pool, 
she  intended  it  also  as  a  protection  for  her  Siloam  Church. 

The  ruins  of  this  wall  which  Eudocia  built  were  those  found 
just  south  of  the  old,  or  lower,  Siloam  pool,  which  is  just  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tyropean  valley  with  that  of  Jehoshaphat,  and 
is  now  always  polluted  by  the  refuse  water  from  the  city.  But 
another  thing  was  assured  by  the  excavations  here,  namely, 
that  Eudocia  was  not  the  first  to  bring  the  Siloam  pool  within 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  debris,  thirty  feet  under  the 
present  surface,  were  found  the  remains  of  an  ancient  wall, 
many  of  the  stones  of  which  are  in  situ.  Perhaps  when  the 
Siloam  tunnel  that  made  the  pool  possible  was  excavated,  the 
city  authorities  built  this  including  wall  to  protect  this  im- 
portant reservoir. 

Other  excavations  on  Mount  Zion  and  on  Ophel  were  made 
under  the  direction  of  Doctor  Bliss,  which  revealed  that  the 
parts  of  these  hills  now  outside  the  walls  of  the  city  and  given 
over  to  gardens  were  once  built  over  with  houses.  The  results 
of  these  excavations  are  of  interest  to  the  special  student  of 
Jerusalem  topography,  but  not  to  the  general  reader.  They  are 
found  in  detail  in  the  Quarterly  Reports  of  the  Palestine  Ex- 
ploration Fund. 


CLIMATE  AND  HEALTH 


Great  Variety  of  Climate  in  Palestine — Causes — Tempera- 
ture of  Jerusalem — Sudden  Changes — Lack  of  Forests — Two 
Seasons — Rains,  Early  and  Latter — Heaviest  Rains — Winter 
— Spring — Snow — Summer — Disadvantages  of  Climate — An- 
nual Rainfall — Increased  Necessary — Mists — Dews — Winds — 
Sirocco — Jerusalem  a  Healthful  City — Sanitary  Violations — 
Odors — Cholera — Quarantine — Nature's  Provision  for  Health 
— Fever — Water  Supply — A  Summer  Resort — Spring  Water — 
Mortality  Among  Children — Children's  Hospital. 


248 


CHAPTER  XIV 

CLIMATE   AND   HEALTH 

NO  country  on  earth  has  at  once  so  limited  an  area  and  so 
great  a  variety  of  climate  as  Palestine.  Though  not 
under  the  tropics,  the  Jordan  valley  enjoys  tropical  heat  and 
vegetation.  Mount  Hermon  is  just  beyond  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  Palestine  proper,  and  from  the  perpetual  summer  of  the 
Ghor,  or  Jordan  Valley,  can  be  seen  lifting  up  its  head  to  a 
height  where  the  snow  remains  throughout  the  year.  This 
diversity  of  climate  is  due  to  the  physical  features  of  the  land 
— features  peculiar,  indeed  unique.  The  Dead  Sea  lies  1,30c 
feet  below  sea  level.  Mount  Hermon  rises  9,050  above  sea 
level.  Between  these  two  extremes  there  is  variety  enough  to 
satisfy  the  most  exacting.  A  Jerusalem  resident  can  reach  the 
region  of  continual  summer  by  making  a  journey  sixteen  miles 
to  the  east,  during  which  journey  he  will  descend  nearly  4,000 
feet ;  he  can  reach  the  orange  groves  of  Jaffa,  with  their  soft 
Florida  climate,  after  a  journey  of  forty-three  miles;  he  is  only 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  summit  of  Hermon.  In 
midsummer  one  can  stand  on  the  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea  with 
the  thermometer  registering  the  almost  insufferable  heat  of 
1400  Fahrenheit  and,  looking  up  the  Ghor,  or  Jordan  valley, 
see  the  snow  fields  on  the  top  of  Hermon.  In  his  own  city, 
2,600  feet  above  the  Mediterranean,  and  3,900  feet  above  the 
Dead  Sea,  the  Jerusalemite  has  in  summer  a  temperature 
seldom  rising  above  95  °  Fahrenheit  in  the  shade,  and  in  mid- 
winter seldom  going  lower  than  the  freezing  point,  and  that 
only  at  night. 

The  position  of  the  city,  between  the  high  mountains  on  the 
north  and  the  hot  desert  lands  on  the  south  and  east,  renders 
it  subject  to  rather  sudden  changes  of  temperature.     Only  oc- 

249 


250  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

casionally,  however,  are  the  changes  severe  enough  to  cause 
suffering  even  among  the  lightly  clad  denizens  of  the  place. 
These  changes  are  now  more  frequent  and  more  severe  than 
they  once  were,  owing  to  the  denuded  condition  of  the  country 
as  regards  forests ;  there  is  practically  no  timber  in  any  part 
of  Palestine.  There  are  some  districts  that  might  be  called 
woodland  in  a  country  where  woods  were  not  abundant. 
These  woods,  a  low  copse-like  growth,  are  found  only  on 
Carmel  and  in  Gilead ;  and  they  can  have  no  affect  upon  the 
rainfall  or  temperature.  And  yet  there  are  those 1  acquainted 
with  the  land  in  its  present  condition  and  with  the  descriptions 
of  it  contained  in  the  Bible  and  other  ancient  records  who  as- 
sert that  "  we  may  safely  conclude  that  the  land  was  never 
very  much  more  wooded  than  it  is  to-day."  Whether  this 
view  be  correct  or  not,  certainly  under  present  conditions 
there  is  no  prospect  of  any  increase  in  timber  growth.  With 
an  utter  disregard  of  the  future  the  inhabitants  have  in  most 
quarters  stripped  the  hills  of  every  tree.  What  little  fuel  is 
necessary  is  procured  by  grubbing  out  the  roots  of  the  ground- 
oak  and  the  fragments  of  olive-trees.  As  for  tree  culture  there 
is  nothing  of  the  kind  practiced.  The  fact  that  in  Bible  times 
the  rainfall  was  more  abundant  and  the  natural  springs  more 
numerous  and  copious  would  lead  to  the  inference  that  at  that 
time  the  forests  covered  a  considerable  part  of  the  land.  One 
other  thing  is  assured,  namely,  that  Palestine  could  never  have 
supported  the  population  accredited  to  it  at  certain  periods  of 
its  history,  had  it  always  been  in  its  present  condition  as  re- 
gards moisture. 

Jerusalem  and  the  neighboring  districts  have  but  two  sea- 
sons— the  wet  and  the  dry.  One  has  only  to  pass  a  year  in 
the  city  to  be  convinced  that  these  two  are  plainly  marked. 
"Seed  time  and  harvest,  cold  and  heat,  winter  and  summer," 
are  the  Biblical  names.  And  each  term  is  exact.  The  wet 
season  is  the  "seed  time,  the  cold,  the  winter"  ;  the  dry  sea- 
1  George  Adam  Smith  in  "  Hist.  Geog.  of  the  Holy  Land,"  p.  81. 


Climate  and  Health  251 

son  is  "  the  harvest,  the  heat,  the  summer."  There  are  like- 
wise two  periods  of  rain  called  in  our  English  Bible  "the 
former,"  or  "early,"  and  "the  latter  rains."  The  early 
rains  usually  commence  late  in  October  or  early  in  November. 
Until  the  first  or  middle  of  December  the  fall  is  not  large,  but 
its  effect  is  very  beneficent.  It  opens  the  agricultural  season, 
softening  the  earth  that  has  been  dried  hard  by  the  long  sum- 
mer and  making  it  possible  for  the  husbandman  to  use  his 
rude  plow,  an  implement  which  has  been  in  no  way  improved 
since  the  days  of  the  patriarchs.  During  the  early  rains  the 
weather  is  very  changeable.  One  day  will  be  warm  and  clear 
with  no  sign  of  cloud  or  suggestion  of  winter ;  the  next  day 
rain  will  be  falling,  perhaps  mingled  with  snow  or  sleet;  and 
on  the  third  a  cold  bitter  wind  will  be  blowing  out  of  the 
north,  sending  the  clouds  flying  across  the  heavens  and  making 
half-clad  humanity  draw  its  clothes  more  tightly  around  it  and 
seek  the  shelter  of  some  friendly  building  or  wall. 

Between  "the  early"  and  "latter  rains"  there  is  usually  a 
period  of  a  week  or  two  during  which  fair  weather  prevails, 
though  it  is  not  to  be  counted  on.  In  January  and  February 
the  heaviest  showers  fall.  In  March  and  April  come  the  "  latter 
rains  "  of  Scripture.  These  are  very  important,  being  necessary 
for  the  maturing  of  the  crops  and  preparing  the  land  and  peo- 
ple for  the  long  rainless  summer.  Frequent  mention  is  made 
in  the  Bible  of  the  "early  and  latter  rains,"  and  the  impression 
is  gotten  by  some  that  there  are  two  distinct  times  of  rain,  viz, 
at  the  vernal  and  autumnal  equinoxes.  But  the  truth  is  that 
the  rainy  season  lasts  during  all  the  winter  months.  Their 
importance  is  the  cause  of  their  frequent  mention.  By  the 
time  the  heavy  showers  of  March  and  April  set  in  Nature  has 
begun  to  put  on  her  beautiful  garments,  and  by  the  middle  of 
April  "the  winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone,  the 
flowers  appear  on  the  earth,  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is 
come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  the  land."  This 
is  the  balmy  time  of  the  year  and  those  who  can  visit  the  city 


252  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  land  at  this  season  cannot  but  have  delightful  remem- 
brances of  it. 

During  every  winter  there  are  usually  a  few  days  of  freezing 
weather ;  a  thin  coating  of  ice  forms  on  small  pools  during  the 
night,  but  it  disappears  before  the  following  noon  unless  in  a 
very  protected  place.  Snow  is  an  occasional,  and  to  the  na- 
tives a  very  unwelcome,  visitor.  It  has  been  known  to  fall  and 
remain  for  several  days  at  a  time,  but  conditions  admitting 
this  very  seldom  arise.  Three  heavy  falls  of  snow  occurred 
during  the  months  of  January  and  February  of  this  year,  1898, 
when  the  winter  was  exceptionally  cold  and  much  suffering 
was  endured  by  the  people. 

Summer  begins  about  the  middle  of  May  and  continues  un- 
til the  last  of  September  or  well  into  October.  During  this 
time  hardly  a  drop  of  rain  falls.  The  sky  is  generally  per- 
fectly free  from  clouds,  though  occasionally  soft  fleecy  ones  are 
blown  up  from  the  Mediterranean,  linger  for  awhile  and  then 
disappear.  "  Clouds  are  they  without  water."  *  By  the  mid- 
dle of  June  the  flowers  and  grass  have  perished  for  lack  of 
moisture ;  only  the  olive  and  fig  trees  and  the  low  grapevines 
show  any  sign  of  green.  A  haziness  fills  the  atmosphere  and 
limits  the  circle  of  vision.  Often  for  days  at  a  time  the  Moab 
hills  cannot  be  seen.  This  is  due  to  the  effect  of  the  sun  upon 
the  naked  hills,  heating  the  lower  stratum  of  the  air  and  caus- 
ing it  to  rise  rapidly.  But  here  in  the  Judean  hills  the  climate 
in  midsummer  is  much  more  endurable  than  in  New  York  or 
in  any  city  south  of  it  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard ;  it  is  more 
agreeable  than  that  of  any  American  inland  city,  whether  in 
summer  or  winter.  Its  great  disadvantage  is  the  length  of  its 
rainless  period  and  consequent  scarcity  of  water  and  abundance 
of  dust.  If  the  rains  could  be  distributed  throughout  the  year 
this  disadvantage  would  be  overcome,  for  in  the  five  winter 
months  more  rain  falls  than  in  most  places  in  the  United 
States  during  twelve  months;  the  average  annual  precipitation 

1  Jude  12. 


Climate  and  Health  253 

is  about  thirty  inches.  There  is  some  indication  that  the  rain- 
fall is  increasing  and  this  to  many  is  regarded  as  a  strong 
proof  of  the  fulfillment,  in  the  near  future,  of  certain  prophe- 
cies relating  to  the  land.  If  the  land  ever  recovers  its  former 
glory  such  as  it  had  when  it  was  characterized  as  "a  delight- 
some land,"  x  "  the  glory  of  all  lands,"  2  "  an  exceeding  good 
land,"3  "the  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey"  *  or  "the 
land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  careth  for,"  it  will  have  to  be 
more  blessed  with  water  during  the  summer  than  it  now  is. 
This  lends  some  weight  to  the  opinion  4  that  there  was  still  an- 
other rainy  season  which  occurred  just  after  the  harvest  was  all 
gathered  in,  a  period  of  moisture  which  would  make  up  just 
what  is  lacking,  for  a  rain  then  would  refresh  the  entire  land, 
blessing  the  mountain  pastures  where  the  sheep  and  goats  now 
hunt  almost  in  vain  for  a  few  spears  of  grass,  and  laying  the 
dust  in  the  city  and  suburbs. 

In  the  summer  morning  mists  are  occasional  and  oftentimes 
so  dense  as  to  prevent  an  observer  in  the  city  from  seeing  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  I  have  been  on  some  of  the  high  points 
around  the  city  early  on  a  July  morning  and  had  face  and  hands 
made  quite  wet  by  a  mist  that  would  do  credit  to  a  Scotch 
highland ;  but  when  the  sun  rises  above  the  Moab  hills  the  fog 
and  mist  vanish  rapidly.  From  this  sudden  disappearance 
the  Hebrew  writers  drew  many  of  their  figures  illustrative  of 
the  frailty  and  brevity  of  life.  "  What  is  your  life  ?  "  5  asks 
James  in  his  epistle  and  answers  it  by  a  reference  well  known. 
"It  is  even  a  vapor  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time  and  then 
vanisheth  away."  The  dews  at  night  are  often  quite  heavy  and 
on  the  streets  and  surrounding  roads  in  the  early  morning  one 
might  imagine  that  a  modern  sprinkler  had  passed ;  were  the 

1  Mai.  iii.  12.  a  Ezek.  xx.  6. 

3  Numbers  xiv.  7.  4  Ex.  xxxiii.  3;  Lev.  xx.  24;  Numbers  xiv.  8 ; 
Jer.  xxxii.  22 ;  Ezek.  xx.  6. 

*  Barclay,  "  City  of  the  Great  King,"  p.  54. 
5  James  iv.  1 4. 


254 


Jerusalem  the  Holy- 


resident  of  experience  not  quite  incapable  of  conceiving  so 
useful  an  engine  in  the  hands  of  Turkish  officials. 

The  belief  that  the  annual  rainfall  is  increasing  is  well 
founded.  Records  at  hand  for  the  years  succeeding  1861,  if 
estimated  in  decades,  will  show  this.  From  1861  to  1870  the 
average  annual  rainfall  was  21.87  inches;  from  1871  to  1880 
it  was  24.60  inches,  while  the  decade  ending  with  1890 
averaged  annually  27.69  inches,  an  increase  of  3.09  inches 
over  the  decade  ending  with  1880  and  of  5.82  inches  over  that 
ending  with  1870.  During  this  entire  period  the  smallest  pre- 
cipitation for  any  one  year  was  in  1889,  when  the  registration 
amounted  to  13.79  inches.  Thus  far  during  the  present  dec- 
ade the  fall  has  been  abundant  each  year  and  gives  support  to 
the  frequently  made  statement  that  the  rainfall  of  Palestine  is 
increasing.  For  the  figures  here  given  for  the  present  decade 
I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  A.  Hastings  Kelk,  rector  of 
Christ's  Church,  Jerusalem  : — 


1890 

1891 

1892 

i893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

6.30 

4-6S 

3-65 

.69 

7-85 

I3-31 

4.40 

3-5o 

i-43 

5.15 

2.86 

7.2 

6.39 

5-74 

22.71 

i.45 

9-  52 

7.18 

4-77 

4-93 

7-4i 

5-76 

i-34 

.28 

1.67 

1.83 

2.14 

.04 

.84 

•  23 

.42 

•25 

.01 

July 

•035 

•°3 

.11 

.04 

9 

2.41 

5.08 

•49 

5-75 

9.67 

2.08 

3°3 

9-56 

7-25 

6.25 

6.68 

4-37 

6.34 

Yearly  Total 

35.5i 

34.72 

27.78 

22.73 

30.08 

20.05 

29.03 

37.68 

Jerusalem  is  decidedly  a  windy  city.     Her  winds,   while 
sometimes    exceedingly   boisterous    and    careering   over   the 


Climate  and  Health  255 

mountains  at  a  rate  that  would  do  justice  to  a  Dakota  breeze, 
are  her  best  friends.  The  sultry  and  sickening  winds  from  the 
desert  are  fortunately  infrequent.  In  every  part  of  the  city 
but  the  low  underground  hovels  of  the  Jewish  quarter  and 
some  of  the  narrow,  arched  streets,  fresh  air  can  always  be  en- 
joyed. I  confess  that  it  is  not  always  enjoyed,  for  the  deni- 
zens of  some  parts  of  the  city  are  so  vile  in  their  habits  of  life 
that  they  seem  to  prefer  the  odors  of  decaying  vegetable  and 
animal  matter  to  the  combination  of  fresh  sea  and  mountain 
air.  This  preference  on  their  part  gives  the  casual  visitors  of  a 
day  or  two  a  wrong  idea  of  the  city,  because  in  order  to  see 
many  of  the  interesting  places  they  have  to  pass  through  these 
villainous  alleys  of  putrefaction.  In  winter  the  prevailing 
wind  is  from  the  west ;  it  blows  up  fresh  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  drives  the  welcome  clouds,  heavy  with  moisture, 
before  it,  until,  reaching  the  cooler  altitude  of  the  hills,  they 
drop  their  refreshment  upon  the  thousand-mouthed  earth.  It 
is  not  always  true  now,  as  our  Lord's  assertion  would  lead  us 
to  believe  it  was  in  His  day,  that  "  When  ye  see  a  cloud  rise 
out  of  the  west,  straightway  ye  say  '  There  cometh  a  shower 
and  so  it  is,'  "  1  for  very  often  the  winds  drive  before  them 
heavy  threatening  banks  of  leaden  clouds  having  every  evi- 
dence of  "abundance  of  rain,"  only  to  have  them  pass  away 
without  leaving  a  blessing  on  the  waiting  fields.  "  Clouds  are 
they  without  water,  carried  about  of  winds."  2  In  summer  the 
prevalent  winds  are  from  the  northwest.  They  are  not  shower 
bringers,  but  are  welcome  because  of  their  coolness.  Nearly 
every  morning  they  commence  to  blow  and  continue  their 
cheer  through  most  of  the  day.  Occasionally  they  increase  to 
violence,  and  gathering  the  dust  in  their  embrace  sweep  it 
along  in  such  quantities  as  to  be  a  great  discomfort  to  men 
and  animals.  This  northwest  wind  performs  good  service  for 
the  native  threshers  who  winnow  their  grain  against  it,  throw- 

1  Luke  xxii.  54.  2  Jude  12. 


256  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ing  the  mixed  wheat  and  chaff  up  from  the  threshing  floor  on 
some  hilltop  and  letting  the  wind  carry  the  chaff  away.1 

With  the  exception  of  these  winds  from  the  northwest  "  the 
wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth."  But  winds  from  other  quar- 
ters are  not  very  desirable.  The  east  and  south  winds  are  not 
frequent,  but  are  very  effective ;  they  are  hot  and  enervating 
and  their  departure  is  most  welcome.  True  it  is  that,  "  when 
ye  see  the  south  wind  blow  ye  say,  There  will  be  heat  and  it 
cometh  to  pass  "  2  these  south  winds  are  called  "sirocco  "  by 
European  residents  and  "sherkiyeh"  by  the  Arabs.  Dis- 
comfort to  man  and  beast  and  injury  to  vegetation  result  from 
them.  Fine  sand  accompanies  the  sirocco  and  sifts  into  every 
part  of  the  house,  so  that  it  is  literally  true  that  you  can  "  see  " 
it.  Isaiah  must  have  had  some  experience  with  this  unwelcome 
visitor,  but  drew  certain  consolation  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
attended  by  nothing  worse.  "He  stayeth  his  rough  wind  in 
the  day  of  the  east  wind."3  I  have  known  the  temperature 
to  rise  300  Fahrenheit  as  a  result  of  one  of  these  siroccos  be- 
tween sunrise  and  noon,  and  the  spirits  to  sink  correspondingly. 
One  would  suppose  that  the  natives,  who  have  been  accustomed 
to  these  winds  all  their  lives,  would  not  notice  them  much. 
That  they  do  notice  and  are  affected  by  them  fully  as  much 
as  are  Europeans  or  Americans  is  the  fact.  When  a  ' '  sher- 
kiyeh "  is  blowing  they  do  nothing  except  to  get  as  much  as 
possible  out  of  it,  draw  their  loose  garments  about  their  faces 
and  make  the  best  of  it  by  sleeping.  The  sirocco  never 
brings  rain  and  is  of  no  use  to  the  thresher.  Jeremiah  *  may 
have  it  in  mind  speaking  of  it  as  "A  dry  wind  of  the  high 
places  in  the  wilderness  toward  the  daughter  of  my  people, 
neither  to  fan  nor  to  cleanse." 

Not  only  does  the  sirocco  depress  one's  spirits  and,  as  Barclay 
says,5  "  cause  a  feeling  of  perfect  good-for-nothingness,"  it 

•Psalm  i.  4;  Dan.  ii.  35  ;  Hosea  xiii.  3;  Luke  iii.  17. 

sLuke  xii.  55,,  3  Is.  xxvii.  8.  *  Jeremiah  iv.  II. 

*  "  City  of  the  Great  King,"  p.  61. 


Climate  and  Health 


257 


also  induces  fever,  and  a  low  type  of  malaria  is  sure  to  make 
its  appearance  when  this  wind  is  frequent  and  continued. 
The  coolness  and  refreshment  of  the  breezes  from  the  west  and 
north  fortunately  overbalance  any  evils  brought  by  those  from 
the  opposite  direction;  without  them  Jerusalem  would  be  a 
most  unhealthy  place  of  residence.  I  question  if  any  city  in 
the  world  of  its  size  violates  more  flagrantly  the  primal  laws 
of  sanitation.  Regardless  of  these  laws  and  indifferent  to 
their  surroundings  the  people  in  some  parts  throw  all  the  re- 
fuse of  their  living  into  the  narrow,  unventilated  streets  and 
allow  it  to  lie  there  exhaling  its  poisonous  vapors,  until  the 
street-cleaning  brigade,  consisting  of  a  couple  of  donkeys  and 
as  many  boys,  with  little  more  intelligence  than  their  long- 
eared  helpers,  come  along  and  carry  it  off  to  the  common 
dumping  grounds.  To  a  foreigner — even  to  some  whose  own 
cities  are  by  no  means  models  of  cleanliness — the  odors  from 
some  of  the  Holy  City's  side  streets  are  excruciating.  The 
wonder  is  that  such  utter  disregard  of  sanitation  does  not 
frequently  result  in  fatal  epidemics.  But  it  does  not.  Cholera 
is  a  frequent  visitor  to  some  parts  of  the  Turkish  dominions, 
but  for  thirty  years  Jerusalem  has  escaped  its  ravages.  On 
the  first  reports  of  its  approach  in  the  Levant,  Jaffa  quarantines 
against  every  vessel  coming  from  an  infected  port.  This  pro- 
tects Jerusalem  from  the  sea.  Every  road  leading  into  the 
city  is  guarded  and  no  one  admitted  in  this  way.  All  goods 
are  quarantined  for  some  days  and  then  fumigated.  I  have 
seen  them  washing  money  in  the  sea  at  Jaffa  in  order  to  free 
it  from  any  clinging  cholera  bacilli,  while  at  the  same  time  in 
the  streets  of  that  city  and  in  Jerusalem  were  unnoticed  piles 
of  decaying,  cholera  breeding  matter,  a  great  deal  more  likely 
to  work  injury  to  the  inhabitants.  There  are  two  reasons  why 
disastrous  results  do  not  follow  such  negligence,  the  power  of 
the  sun  to  dry  all  putrefying  matter  and  the  continual  breezes 
that  carry  off  the  poisonous  gases. 

Nature  has  made  this  a  healthy  city  in  spite  of  the  filthy 


258  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

habits  of  the  majority  of  its  inhabitants  and  the  puerility  of 
its  official  class.  Its  high  altitude  and  deep  encompassing 
valleys  counteract  this  carelessness  and  childishness.  Had 
Jerusalem  been  built  on  a  plain  and  its  people  had  the  habits 
of  its  present  population  it  would  long  ago  have  been  depopu- 
lated or  at  least  sunk  to  the  condition  of  the  wretched  villages 
of  the  Maritime  plain.  It  has  a  sewer  system  of  most  primi- 
tive construction,  which  any  sanitary  engineer  would  pro- 
nounce more  destructive  of  than  conducive  to  health.  The 
streets  and  sewers  could  not  be  flushed  if  the  authorities  had 
any  inclination  to  resort  to  such  modern  novelties,  owing  to 
the  lack  of  any  kind  of  waterworks.  This  condition  of 
affairs  is  the  wonder  and  disgust  of  visitors  and  civilized 
residents.  Often  have  I  heard  this  or  similar  remarks,  "Well, 
of  all  places  I  was  ever  in  this  is  the  filthiest  and  can  produce 
the  most  villainous  odors.  It  must  be  one  of  the  most  un- 
healthy places  on  earth."  The  sights  and  smells  of  some 
quarters  are  as  bad  as  the  most  vivid  imagination  can  conceive 
them,  but  the  conclusion  usually  drawn  is  incorrect.  Never- 
theless this  carelessness  does  not  pass  unpunished  altogether. 
During  the  summer  months  there  is  a  great  deal  of  what  is 
commonly  known  as  Jerusalem  fever.  This  is  a  low  type  of 
malaria,  and  while  seldom  leading  to  fatal  results  does  pro- 
duce an  intense  longing  in  the  bosom  of  its  victim — a  longing 
to  be  in  a  city  less  renowned  for  holiness,  and  more  distin- 
guished for  cleanliness. 

One  great  cause  of  this  fever  is  the  condition  of  the  water 
supply.  Standing  for  months  in  ill-kept  cisterns  the  water 
has  become  tainted  and  the  free  use  of  it  for  drinking  pur- 
poses, especially  in  August  and  September,  is  apt  to  result 
in  this  fever.  Other  causes  assist,  but  this  is  the  most  fruit- 
ful source,  and  cleaning  the  cisterns  each  year  would  pro- 
duce good  effects.  But  year  after  year,  without  so  much  as  a 
thought  being  given  to  their  condition,  these  cisterns  are  used 
and  one  year's  corruption  is  added  to  another's.     This  fever 


Climate  and  Health  259 

has  a  deterrent  effect  upon  summer  visitors.  Reports  of  it 
have  spread  abroad  and  the  wily  tourist  keeps  far  distant.  He 
does  not  want  to  be  scorched  externally  by  the  Judean  sun  or 
burned  internally  by  the  Jerusalem  fever,  so  he  comes  in  the 
winter  and  exposes  himself  to  the  rains  and  chilly  winds,  has 
difficulty  in  keeping  dry  and  greater  difficulty  in  keeping 
warm  and  risks  pneumonia,  all  to  escape  the  heat  and  the 
fever. 

And  yet,  as  has  been  said,  the  climate  in  summer  is  prefer- 
able to  that  of  the  majority  of  places  in  the  temperate  zone. 
The  city's  altitude,  dry  air  and  proximity  to  the  sea  and  the 
mountains,  make  it  something  of  a  summer  resort.  Many 
missionaries  residing  in  the  surrounding  districts  and  in 
Egypt  spend  their  vacations  here,  coming  up  from  the  plains 
and  cities  along  the  Syrian  coast  and  from  neighboring  villages. 
And  they  find  what  they  seek,  rest  and  a  change  of  climate. 

No  matter  what  the  day  is,  though  it  is  seldom  hot  enough 
to  be  uncomfortable  indoors,  the  nights  are  always  cool.  As 
soon  as  the  sun  dips  into  the  western  sea  coolness  comes  that 
would  be  the  envy  of  our  American  cities  even  in  the  Northern 
States.  If  New  York  and  Philadelphia  and  Chicago  could 
enjoy  the  same  temperature  at  night  fewer  of  their  citizens 
would  need  to  "waste  their  substance"  in  paying  the  high 
rates  of  seashore,  lake  and  mountain  resorts,  where  they  think 
they  must  go  in  order  to  make  existence  bearable. 

But  the  water;  its  impurity  and  scarcity  is  the  great  objec- 
tion. Still  nobody  desiring  a  daily  bath  need  go  without  it, 
and  good,  pure  water,  as  healthful  as  any  water  on  earth, 
gushes  out  in  living  springs  from  the  limestone  hills  near  enough 
to  the  city  to  admit  of  its  being  brought  in  and  sold  at  the  not 
too  exorbitant  figure  of  three  cents  per  gallon. 

There  is  one  thing  that  must  be  mentioned,  and  that  is,  the 
great  mortality  among  children.  To  one  acquainted  with  the 
conditions  this  is  not  surprising.  The  wonder  is  that  any  of 
the  native  children  of  parents  of  the  lower  classes  survive. 


260  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

After  living  for  two  years  near  Doctor  Sandreczky's  Children's 
Hospital ;  after  seeing  children  in  the  homes  of  native  Chris- 
tians, Jews  and  Moslems,  I  am  certain  that  had  the  children 
of  America  and  Europe  the  same  treatment,  very  few  of 
them  would  reach  years  of  maturity.  Often  have  I  seen  un- 
weaned  babies  munching  away  at  green  cucumbers  and  other 
vegetables  raw  and  equally  indigestible.  Among  a  number  of 
cases  I  have  known  brought  to  Doctor  Sandreczky's  Hospital 
was  that  of  a  boy  twelve  years  old  who  never  in  his  life  had 
had  a  bath.  Before  he  was  born  his  mother  had  made  a  vow 
to  this  effect  and  the  worst  of  it  was  she  was  faithful  to  her 
vow.  The  first  thing  that  happened  at  the  hospital  was  to 
break  the  vow  so  far  as  it  affected  the  boy.  This  with  a  little 
careful  treatment  was  all  he  needed. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  climate  and  health  of  Jerusalem 
ought  certainly  to  correct  some  false  impressions,  usually 
hastily  received,  and  take  away  from  the  old  city  some  un- 
merited reproach. 


PASSION  WEEK  AND  EASTER 


A  Comparison — Easter  Week  Generally — In  Jerusalem — 
Pilgrims — Inconveniences — Passover  Conditions — Passover  and 
Easter — Religious  Metropolis — Variety  of  the  City's  Guests  at 
Easter — Easter  of  1895 — Palm  Sunday — Pilgrim  Ignorance — 
Procession  Around  the  Sepulchre — Greek  Patriarch — Tourist 
Discourtesy — Religious  Disturbances — Church  Jealousy — The 
Washing  of  Feet — Miracle  Plays — Latin  Service — Good  Fri- 
day— Midnight  in  the  Church — The  Holy  Fire — Scenes  at  the 
Fire — Soldiers — Riot  of  1834 — A  Trivial  Difficulty — Respon- 
sibility for  the  Holy  Fire — The  Procession — The  Chapel — 
The  Riot  of  1895 — Cause — America's  Contribution — The 
Coming  of  the  Fire — An  Offensive  Delusion — Antiquity — 
Origin  of  the  Ceremony — Easter  Morning. 


262 


CHAPTER  XV 

PASSION   WEEK  AND    EASTER 

AS  a  general  statement  it  is  true  that  the  further  away  one 
is  from  Jerusalem  the  less  ceremony  he  will  see  in 
connection  with  Easter  and  the  days  of  fast  and  feast  that  fall 
near  it.  There  is  more  ceremony  in  the  Greek  and  other  dis- 
tinctively Oriental  Churches  than  there  is  in  the  Latin,  more 
in  the  Latin  than  in  the  established  Churches  of  Germany  and 
England,  more  in  these  established  Churches  than  there  is  in 
the  independent  Protestant  denominations  of  America.  Fur- 
thermore it  is  true  that  there  is  more  ceremony  in  the  Latin 
Church  in  Italy  than  there  is  in  the  same  body  in  France  and 
Spain  and  the  Latin-American  countries ;  more  in  these  last 
than  there  is  in  the  same  Church  in  the  United  States.  In 
spite  of  the  Church  of  Rome's  assertion  that  she  is  "semper 
idem";  she  differs  in  different  lands;  not  in  essentials  it  is 
true,  but  in  matters  serious  enough  to  be  noticeable.  This 
remark  is  not  made  by  way  of  detraction ;  it  is  true  of  all 
branches  of  the  Church  and  merely  goes  to  prove  that  as  an 
institution  the  Church  of  Christ  in  the  world  is  not  beyond  being 
influenced  by  the  conditions  which  surround  her.  She  may 
have  a  superior  organization  and  triumph  where  other  merely 
human  institutions  fail,  but  so  long  as  the  human  element 
enters  into  her,  it  will  affect  and  in  some  measure  control  her. 
This  dependence  upon  conditions  will  account  for  the  varieties 
of  church  government  and  for  the  difference  of  forms  in  differ- 
ent churches  having  the  same  government.  In  this  respect  as 
in  others  variety  is  life. 

Easter  week  is  the  most  important  week  in  the  ecclesiastical 
year,  and  it  is  celebrated  in  Jerusalem  with  greater  pomp  than 
in  any  other  city  on  earth.     Nor  is  the  reason  of  this  far  to 

263 


264  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

seek.  In  Jerusalem  Christ  spent  the  days  of  Passion  week ; 
and  on  each  day  he  performed  some  memorable  act.  In  Je- 
rusalem the  great  tragedy  of  the  crucifixion  was  carried  to  its 
eventful  close ;  in  Jerusalem  the  Crucified  One  triumphed  over 
His  enemies  and  over  death  itself  by  His  glorious  resurrection. 
Never  can  locality  and  event  be  more  inseparably  united  than 
the  places  in  Jerusalem  and  the  events  of  Passion  week  and 
that  first  Easter  morning.  Human  uncertainty  as  to  the  exact 
location  is  immaterial ;  the  events  took  place  in  Jerusalem,  and 
to  Jerusalem,  as  to  the  place  most  appropriate,  Christians  come 
to  commemorate  these  events.  Opinions  of  the  truly  pious 
may  differ  as  to  the  necessity  and  benefit  of  such  commemo- 
ration, but  two-thirds  of  the  Christian  world  care  nothing  for 
opinions  on  such  matters.  They  believe  in  the  power  and 
appropriateness  of  such  observances,  and  if  they  cannot  in 
person  participate  in  them  hope  for  the  time  to  come  when 
they  may.  Thousands  do  take  part ;  the  narrow  streets  are 
full  of  pilgrims  and  tourists,  the  former  actuated  by  motives 
of  religion,  the  latter  by  a  laudable  curiosity  to  see  the  ancient 
city  and  the  sights  of  Easter  week.  The  many  hospices  of  the 
various  churches  and  religious  orders  are  crowded  ;  the  hotels 
have  doubled  their  sleeping  accommodations  and  are  often 
compelled  to  refuse  desirable  guests.  Visitors  have  to  put  up 
with  many  inconveniences  and  do  so  generally  without  com- 
plaint, very  glad  that  there  is  any  place  for  them.  In  the 
olive  groves  around  the  city  many  tents  are  pitched,  where 
people  unable  to  obtain  hotel  apartments  and  some  who  prefer 
tent  life  are  making  themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible.  If 
the  weather  is  favorable  the  tent-dwellers  are  really  better  off 
than  those  in  the  hotels ;  but  this  is  the  season  of  the  latter 
rains. 

This  crowded  condition  of  the  city  and  its  suburbs  is  some- 
thing as  it  must  have  been  in  the  long  ago  when  the  Jews 
came  up  from  all  lands  to  celebrate  their  great  Passover  feast 
in  their  ancestral  holy  city.     Then  as  now  the  houses  were 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  265 

filled  with  guests  and  the  various  hostelries  were  taxed  to  their 
utmost ;  then  as  now  tents  and  booths  took  shelter  under  the 
olive  trees  in  the  valleys  or  along  the  hillsides,  furnishing  rest 
at  night  to  their  occupants  who  spent  the  day  within  the  walls ; 
then  as  now  every  nation  was  represented,  only  now  the 
variety  is  greater,  for  Gentile  nations  then  unheard  of  send 
their  thousands  to  participate.  Then  as  now  one  great  past 
event  was  commemorated — in  reality  the  same  event — for  the 
symbolic  meaning  of  the  slaying  of  the  Paschal  lamb  found  its 
fulfillment  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

Easter  is  the  Christian  Passover  and  Jerusalem  is  a  very 
appropriate  place  to  commemorate  it.  The  city  has  changed 
much  for  the  worse  during  these  Christian  centuries,  but  its 
power  of  suggestion  is  not  lost.  Its  glorious  temple  and  won- 
derful palaces  have  crumbled  before  the  shock  of  the  ram  or 
the  power  of  the  flame,  but  it  is  Jerusalem  still.  The  palaces 
and  walls  and  temples  were  the  pride  of  the  ancient  inhabitant, 
but  if  the  city's  fame  depended  upon  these  it  would  be  to-day 
like  the  cities  of  the  Nile  or  Mesopotamia.  What  has  made 
Jerusalem  known  more  widely  than  any  city  of  antiquity  is  her 
spiritual  preeminence ;  she  is  the  world's  religious  metropolis. 
Other  places  are  recognized  as  the  centres  of  the  religious  life 
of  a  nation  or  some  particular  branch  of  the  Church,  but  in  the 
streets  of  the  Holy  City  they  all  unite.  The  Jew  comes  from 
countries  most  remote  to  dwell  for  a  time  within  the  city  of 
his  fathers,  to  weep  because  his  sacred  place  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  heathen,  and  to  pray  here  on  holy  ground  to  that 
Jehovah  who  so  miraculously  established  his  people  in  this 
land,  and  who,  he  believes,  will  restore  it  to  them  in  His  own 
good  time.  The  swarthy  African  Christian,  member  of  the 
ancient  Coptic  or  Abyssinian  Church,  meets  on  these  streets, 
or  around  the  traditional  tomb  of  their  common  Saviour,  the 
fair-faced  European  or  American  Christian.  They  rejoice  in 
the  possession  of  the  same  blessings  from  the  same  God  and 
Saviour  and  in  the  same  hopes  of  immortality  through  the 


266  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

finished  work  of  the  same  Redeemer.  They  may  differ  in  a 
thousand  other  respects,  but  they  meet  here  on  the  same  level 
and  honor  Jerusalem  for  the  sake  of  its  association  with  that 
Divine  Person  whom  all  acknowledge  as  the  Founder  of  their 
faith.  The  Moslem,  too,  comes  here  on  his  holy  pilgrimage 
and  about  Easter  time  many  strangers  holding  the  faith  of  the 
Prophet  may  be  seen.  The  latter  calls  Jerusalem  "  El-Kuds," 
the  Holy.  Next  to  Mecca  it  is  his  heart's  desire.  His 
pilgrimage  is  not  complete  till  he  has  visited  it  and  bowed  in 
prayer  beneath  the  Dome  of  the  Rock. 

Thus  if  one  wishes  to  see  Jerusalem  at  the  most  interesting 
time  of  the  year  he  should  come  at  the  Easter  season.  The 
variety  of  costume  is  endless;  the  variety  of  methods  of 
worship  likewise.  As  the  Greek  and  Latin  calendars  differ, 
the  Easters  of  these  two  Churches  usually  fall  on  different 
dates.  As  nearly  all  the  Oriental  Churches  follow  the  Greeks, 
the  crowds  are  larger  and  more  enthusiastic,  and  religious  and 
other  sights  novel  to  the  Occidental  are  much  more  numerous 
at  the  time  of  the  Greek  Easter.  Occasionally  the  calendars 
of  all  agree,  and  the  following  account  is  descriptive  of  the 
scenes  and  incidents  of  such  a  year,  namely  Easter  week  of 
1895.  There  was  nothing  very  distinctive  about  this  particular 
week  of  this  particular  year,  however ;  it  differed  little,  if  at 
all,  from  the  same  week  of  other  years. 

For  several  days  preceding  Palm  Sunday  the  dealers  in  palm- 
branches  did  a  rushing  business.  No  pilgrim  was  too  poor  to 
be  furnished  with  some  emblem  of  the  Lord's  triumphal  entry, 
or  too  modest  to  show  his  token  of  rejoicing  on  the  anniversary 
of  that  event.  Some  were  satisfied  with  a  plain  straight  branch 
of  this  tree,  others  who  could  afford  it  had  theirs  woven  into 
various  shapes  with  gay-colored  ribbons  intertwined.  A  visi- 
tor from  another  sphere,  had  he  landed  in  Jerusalem  on  that 
Sunday  morning,  would  have  known  that  some  great  celebra- 
tion was  being  held.  Every  pilgrim  was  out,  going  to  or 
coming  from  some  church  service.     Each  one  was  dressed  in 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  267 

his  best  apparel  and  carried  the  palm-branch  indicative  of  re- 
joicing. In  every  church  that  morning  there  was  a  special 
service,  though  in  the  Latin  churches  it  does  not  equal  in 
splendor  and  consequent  interest  what  can  be  seen  in  Rome 
on  the  same  day. 

The  Crusaders  used  to  represent  the  Christ's  triumphal 
entry,  carrying  it  out  in  detail.  A  priest  personating  the 
Saviour  rode  on  an  ass  from  Bethphage ;  others  as  his  dis- 
ciples followed  or  went  before  him  crying  "Hosanna,"  and 
a  crowd  with  palm  and  olive  branches  came  out  from  the 
city  to  meet  them.  Now,  however,  the  entire  service  is  con- 
ducted in  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre;  this  is  more  quiet 
and  orderly,  but  it  is  not  an  uncommon  sight  on  this  Sunday 
afternoon  to  see  that  many  of  the  Russian  pilgrims,  both  men 
and  women,  have  allowed  their  excess  of  joy  to  steal  away 
their  senses.  Too  freely  have  they  imbibed  of  that  which  in- 
toxicates, and  while  as  a  general  thing  they  are  not  boisterous 
in  their  words  or  actions  they  do  illustrate  a  phase  of  life  far 
removed  from  the  Christianity  of  Christ.  But  Christianity 
comes  to  them  very  much  adulterated  by  human  opinions,  very 
much  distorted  by  ecclesiasticism  and  priestly  innovations. 
They  cannot  read  and  so  religion  must  be  taught  them  by  pic- 
tures. They  have  no  conception  of  the  spiritual  and  to  "wor- 
ship in  spirit"  is  impossible  for  them.  The  Church  to  which 
they  belong  tells  them  that  this  is  a  great  feast  day,  a  day  on 
which  they  are  to  rejoice,  and  they  do  so  in  the  way  they  most 
relish.  This  is  not  to  be  understood  as  applying  to  all  classes ; 
there  are  Russian  pilgrims  just  as  intelligent  and  just  as  de- 
corous as  come  from  any  other  land,  but  their  proportion  to 
the  entire  number  is  very  small. 

The  centre  of  interest  for  those  desiring  to  see  the  church 
services  is,  as  usual,  at  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  This  is  one  of 
the  days  on  which  the  richest  vestments  of  patriarchs,  bishops 
and  priests  may  be  seen,  in  the  procession  made  around  the 
tomb.     At  ten  o'clock  on  Palm  Sunday  morning  we  edged  our 


268  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

way  through  the  crowd  around  and  in  the  church,  climbed  a 
series  of  stairways  and  took  a  position  in  the  Franciscan  con- 
vent from  which  a  good  view  of  all  the  proceedings  could  be 
had.  Singing  began  in  the  Greek  chapel  some  minutes  before 
there  was  any  sign  of  singer  or  of  priest.  Then  from  this 
chapel,  which  is  directly  east  of  the  Holy  Cave,  came  eight 
young  men  carrying  banners  on  which  were  painted  appro- 
priate scenes.  The  first  member  of  the  procession  was  a  lad 
carrying  an  immense  olive  branch.  Immediately  after  the 
singers  came  the  priests  in  double  file  to  the  number  of  seventy, 
each  with  his  ordinary  garb  hidden  by  a  long  robe  that  reached 
to  the  feet  and  which  was  stiff  with  gold  embroidery.  Then 
came  the  censer-bearers  and  just  following  them  was  the  Greek 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem — a  man  with  a  fine,  intellectual  face 
and  dignified  bearing.  His  robes  were  princely  in  their  mag- 
nificence, but  the  most  striking  feature  was  his  crown,  which 
was  encrusted  with  sparkling  jewels  of  great  value.  His  see  is 
one  of  the  richest  in  Christendom.  Money  can  be  procured 
for  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  even  when  there  is  great  lack  of 
it  in  other  places,  so  that  the  patriarch  can  maintain  his  posi- 
tion as  becomes  a  prince  of  the  Church.  It  is  one  of  the 
sights  of  the  city,  permitted  to  very  few,  to  have  a  glimpse  of 
his  treasuries. 

The  tomb  is  encircled  three  times  by  the  procession. 
Every  few  steps  the  censer-bearers  turn  toward  the  patriarch 
and  swing  their  censers  so  that  the  fumes  pass  over  his 
person.  When  the  patriarch  has  passed  once  around  and 
has  come  in  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  sepulchre  he  does 
obeisance  and  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  crown 
he  has  been  wearing  is  then  removed  from  his  head  and 
another  supplied,  no  less  rich  in  appearance,  but  evidently  of 
lighter  weight.  The  procession  is  then  continued,  and  by  the 
time  the  remaining  two  rounds  are  made  over  an  hour  has 
been  consumed.  The  singing  has  never  stopped,  and  as  the 
notes  are  few  and  have  been  repeated  over  and  over  again,  has 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  '269 

become  very  monotonous.  But  the  crowd  below  has  no  doubt 
appreciated  it,  and  as  it  was  intended  for  them  the  disapproval 
of  outsiders  is  of  no  consequence.  They  have  seen  a  wonder- 
ful exhibition  of  pictures  and  candles,  of  vestments  and  jewels 
and  it  has  made  an  impression  upon  their  minds  not  soon  to 
be  forgotten.  It  is  part  of  their  religion ;  they  have  endured 
hardships  to  witness  it.  On  this  occasion  a  number  of  devout 
Russian  women  had  by  remaining  all  night  in  the  church 
secured  good  positions  just  in  front  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
But  priority  of  possession  gives  no  title  in  such  a  case.  A 
party  of  tourists  had  come  in  just  a  few  minutes  before  the 
procession  began ;  they  had  come  to  see,  and  like  most  tour- 
ists of  every  nation  they  were  not  solicitous  about  the  rights 
or  the  feelings  of  others.  The  Turkish  guard  of  the  church 
was  "seen"  and  a  couple  of  soldiers  put  at  the  disposal  of 
this  party ;  a  way  was  forced  through  the  crowd  to  the  door 
of  the  sepulchre;  the  Russian  pilgrims  were  rudely  thrust 
aside  and  made  to  stand  where  they  could  not  see  the  long- 
desired  sight,  and  the  tourists,  to  whom  the  whole  affair  was 
merely  a  matter  of  curiosity,  quietly  and  unconcernedly  took 
their  places.  A  little  "  bucksheesh  "  goes  a  long  way  with 
the  average  Turk,  but  nothing  can  go  far  enough  to  justify  the 
behavior  of  some  tourists. 

The  Latins,  Armenians  and  other  Churches  have  their  special 
services  on  this  day  in  this  place.  When  Easter  falls  on  the 
same  day  for  all,  some  prearrangement  as  to  time  must  be 
made.  For  several  reasons  no  two  of  the  sects  could  have 
their  religious  exercises  going  on  at  the  same  time.  The 
crowds  would  be  too  great  and  confusion  follow,  and,  more 
serious  than  this  reason,  the  participants  in  the  service  could 
not  preserve  the  peace.  By  mistake,  or  intention,  one  party 
might  infringe  upon  the  rights  or  do  something  contrary  to  the 
wishes  of  the  other ;  in  which  case  an  altercation  would  be 
begun  at  once,  regardless  of  the  disturbing  effect  upon  the 
service.     And  the  altercation   might  not   cease  with  words. 


270  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

More  than  once  in  recent  times  this  great  Cathedral  church  of 
Oriental  Christendom  has  witnessed  proceedings  most  un- 
Christian-like.  Each  Church,  we  are  informed,  must  be  jeal- 
ous in  the  assertion  and  protection  of  its  rights,  or  it  would 
soon  have  none  to  assert  or  protect.  Each  wants  as  much  of 
this  sacred  ground  and  edifice  as  it  can  obtain  and  is  not 
always  above  suspicion  of  dishonesty  in  the  methods  used  to 
acquire  possession.  A  precedent  counts  immensely  and  if  one 
sect  were  this  year  to  permit  another  to  enjoy  its  privilege  or 
to  trespass  on  its  part  of  the  church,  next  year  the  sect  thus 
favored  would  just  as  likely  demand  this  as  its  right.  The 
aggressive  spirit  manifested  in  efforts  to  own  parts  of  the 
church  would  be  commendable  and  beautiful  if  it  were  ex- 
panded in  illustrating  and  advancing  true  Christianity.  As  it 
is  the  energy  is  used  without  benefit  to  the  one  exercising  it 
and  without  blessing  upon  anybody. 

After  the  Palm-Sunday  processionals  there  is  little  of  inter- 
est, religiously  speaking.  Services  are  held  every  day  in  some 
of  the  churches  so  that  none  so  inclined  need  suffer  from  lack 
of  religious  opportunity.  But  when  Thursday  arrives  there  is 
considerable  that  to  an  Occidental  is  novel  and  interesting.  At 
eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  this  particular  day  the  court 
in  front  of  the  Sepulchre  Church  is  filled  with  a  solid  mass  of 
reverent  or  curious  humanity.  Every  available  nook  and 
corner  of  the  old  church  is  occupied.  The  steps  leading  to 
the  Chapel  of  the  Agony,  the  roofs  of  neighboring  buildings 
and  of  the  church  itself,  the  balconies  and  windows  overlook- 
ing the  court  are  thronged  with  people  of  many  nationalities. 
Side  by  side  with  the  Christian  from  some  Fellah  village 
among  the  hills  of  Judah  or  Benjamin  is  a  polite  Greek  from 
Athens,  a  stolid  German  from  the  Fatherland,  a  dapper 
Frenchman  and  smooth  Italian,  while  conspicuous  among  all 
is  the  indifferent  and  typical  Englishman  in  his  suit  of  grey 
tweed,  and  the  professional  globe-trotter  from  the  land  of 
great  travellers — the  United  States.     Some  of  the  audience — 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  271 

especially  the  religiously  inclined — took  up  their  positions  the 
night  before  and  kept  them  during  the  long  watches  before  the 
sun  showed  himself  above  Olivet.  In  the  midst  of  a  sea  of 
faces  an  elevated  platform  is  seen,  with  stands  for  candles  at 
its  four  corners  and  seats  for  a  dozen  or  more  persons.  A 
chair  of  state  occupies  a  small  elevated  position  at  the  western 
end  of  this  platform,  facing  the  east.  In  front  of  the  platform 
on  the  wall  of  the  building  a  temporary  pulpit  has  been 
erected.  A  stranger  would  know  that  some  important  cere- 
mony was  about  to  take  place.  About  eight  o'clock  a  proces- 
sion of  Greek  priests  files  out  of  the  main  door  of  the  church. 
The  shouting  of  the  multitude  that  has  been  going  on  for 
hours  ceases,  and  the  Turkish  soldiers  who  have  been  trying 
to  restrain  the  mob  enjoy  a  rest.  The  patriarch  ascends  the 
platform  and  takes  the  conspicuous  chair,  and  twelve  priests, 
representing  the  twelve  apostles,  arrange  themselves  along  both 
sides  and  in  front  of  him.  Their  robes  are  splendid  and,  as 
the  morning  sun  strikes  upon  them,  they  emit  a  glitter  that  is 
dazzling  to  the  eyes ;  but  the  robes  of  the  patriarch  himself 
are  the  centre  of  attraction.  The  richest  of  materials  adorned 
with  the  most  delicate  needlework  cover  his  entire  person, 
while  his  head  dress  is  resplendent  with  jewels. 

A  relic  of  the  old  miracle  plays  is  about  to  be  enacted.  It 
is  a  play  in  which  Jesus  and  His  disciples  are  to  be  personated, 
though  there  is  nothing  in  the  manner  or  garb  of  the  patriarch 
and  priests  to  suggest  the  appearance  or  actions  of  the  Origi- 
nals. It  is  more  like  an  ecclesiastical  dress  parade,  whose  de- 
sign is  not  to  call  to  the  minds  of  the  observers  the  solemn 
occasion  in  the  "  Upper  room  "  when  the  Master,  laying  aside 
His  garments  and  girding  Himself  with  a  towel  began  to  wash 
His  disciples'  feet,  so  much  as  it  is  to  impress  upon  them 
the  richness  of  the  clerical  vestments  and  the  importance  of 
the  wearers.  A  choir  in  attendance  sings  and  sings  well. 
The  passage  in  John,  thirteenth  chapter,  is  read  by  a  priest 
standing   in   the  temporary  pulpit.     Then  the  patriarch  lays 


272  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

aside  his  gorgeous  outer  robe,  a  priest  takes  his  bejewelled 
crown,  while  another  rolls  back  his  rose-colored  satin  sleeves 
and  lays  a  towel  over  his  arm.  From  a  stand  an  immense 
silver  wash  bowl  is  taken  and  partly  filled  with  rose-water. 
Then  the  actual  ceremony  of  the  feet-washing  begins.  It  is  car- 
ried out  in  detail  though  it  has  nothing  about  it  suggestive  of 
that  humility  which  Christ  wished  to  illustrate  before,  and 
thus  encourage  in,  His  disciples.  While  this  is  going  on  it  re- 
quires every  effort  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Sultan  to  keep  back 
the  crowding,  crushing  mob.  Each  one  is  anxious  to  have 
his  handkerchief  or  some  small  possession  dipped  into  the 
basin  of  rose-water  that  is  being  used.  It  is  said  that  a  hand- 
kerchief thus  treated  becomes  a  very  precious  thing  and  is 
highly  prized  by  its  owner.  On  the  two  occasions  I  witnessed 
the  performance  many  handkerchiefs  were  thus  elevated  in 
value.  As  soon  as  the  owner  received  his  from  the  hand  of 
one  of  the  obliging  priests  he  immediately  rubbed  it  over 
hands  and  face,  and  became  blessed  above  his  fellows.  For 
though  there  was  seemingly  no  scarcity  of  rose-water  the  sup- 
ply would  not  have  sufficed  to  gratify  all  the  devotees. 

This  part  of  the  service  being  completed  a  brief  rest  is  taken 
and  then  the  people  are  transported  in  imagination  to  the 
Garden  of  Gethsemane.  There  is  no  change  of  scenery  nor  of 
costume,  the  acting  and  imagination  must  supply  any  lack  in 
these  respects.  Just  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  leading  up  to  the 
platform  the  patriarch  and  three  priests  represent  Christ  in  the 
agony  of  prayer  in  the  garden  and  His  three  drowsy  disciples. 
Here,  too,  the  dress  of  the  modern  portrayers  of  this  solemn 
"night  scene  "  in  the  Saviour's  life  was  in  strange  contrast  to 
what  we  have  been  taught,  and  rightly,  to  believe  was  the  con- 
dition as  to  apparel  of  our  Lord  and  His  followers.  In  strange 
contrast,  also,  to  the  midnight  stillness  of  deepshaded  Gethsem- 
ane, when  no  eye  but  the  Father's  beheld  the  praying  Christ, 
was  this  curious  myriad-eyed  throng,  straining  in  the  garish 
light  of  day  to  see  this  tawdry  imitation  of  a  sacred  scene. 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  273 

This  part  being  ended  the  patriarch  and  priests  again  took 
their  places  on  the  platform.  Robes  were  arranged  and  crown 
donned  and  then,  while  this  spiritual  head  t  of  the  Greek 
Church  in  Jerusalem  stood  clad  in  his  robes  and  the  insignia 
of  his  high  office,  a  photographer  in  a  neighboring  window 
was  quietly  signalled  to  and  the  camera  preserved  the  scene. 
The  great  ceremony  of  the  washing  of  the  feet  is  over  and  the 
procession  files  back  into  the  church.  As  he  goes  the  patriarch 
dips  a  large  bouquet  he  is  carrying  into  what  remains  of  the 
rose-water  and  sprays  it  over  the  throng,  the  majority  of  whom 
reverently  bow  their  bared  heads  to  receive  it. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  the  Latins  have  a  similar 
service,  but  it  is  done  quietly  and  inside  the  church.  The 
uproar  that  characterized  the  morning  observance  is  agreeably 
absent  at  that  of  the  afternoon.  The  costumes  of  the  officiat- 
ing Latin  priests  do  not  compare  in  richness  with  those  of  the 
Greeks,  but  the  effect  upon  the  worshippers  is  equally  good,  if 
there  is  any  good  whatever  resulting  from  these  portrayals  of 
the  scenes  in  the  Saviour's  earthly  life.  There  may  have  been 
a  time  when  such  things  were  helps  to  faith,  there  may  be 
some  minds  yet  which  can  receive  impressions  only  in  this 
way,  but  that  time  certainly  ought  to  have  passed  long  ago, 
and  has  passed  in  those  countries  where  Christianity  has  not 
been  throttled  and  supplanted  by  sacerdotalism.  At  the  door 
of  the  church  that  tolerates  it  must  be  laid  the  blame  for  that 
condition  of  ignorance  which  demands  such  exhibitions  in 
order  to  keep  its  faith  alive. 

The  one  notable  event  of  Good  Friday — notable  in  the  sense 
of  being  out  of  the  ordinary — is  the  mystery  play  representing 
the  scenes  that  were  witnessed  just  previous  to,  during,  and 
immediately  after  the  crucifixion.  A  small  figure  of  the  Christ 
is  brought  into  the  Chapel  of  the  Nailing  to  the  Cross  by  the 
Franciscans — the  order  which  has  entire  charge  of  this  per- 
formance. The  figure  is  less  than  half  life-size  and  is  hideous 
in  the  extreme.     In  the  Chapel  of  the  Nailing  it  is  crucified 


274  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  a  crown  of  thorns  placed  upon  the  head.  Over  the  im* 
age,  as  it  lies  upon  the  floor  surrounded  by  priests  and  specta- 
tors, one  of  the  Franciscan  brothers  delivers  a  sermon  in  Ger- 
man. The  procession  then  moves  a  few  feet  to  the  west  and 
is  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Crucifixion.  This  is  Greek  property, 
and  Latin  intrusion  is  tolerated  within  certain  limits.  The 
cross  bearing  the  image  is  erected  just  back  of  the  altar  that 
covers  the  "hole  in  the  rock,"  where  tradition  asserts  that 
the  "  true  cross  "  stood.  Then  a  brother  preaches  a  sermon  in 
French,  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  after  which  with  much 
pomp  and  an  appearance  of  solemnity  the  figure  is  taken 
down  from  the  cross,  placed  upon  a  richly  embroidered  cloth 
and  carried  through  the  closely  packed  crowd  on  Calvary 
down  the  stairs  to  the  Stone  of  Unction.  Here  the  procession 
halts  awhile,  the  figure  is  anointed  and  a  sermon  in  Arabic 
given.  After  this  linen  grave-clothes  are  wrapped  about  the 
image,  and  it  is  carried  through  the  vaulted  passage  to  the 
sepulchre  and  laid  upon  the  marble  covering  of  the  traditional 
tomb  of  Christ ;  there  it  remains  until  the  following  Sunday 
morning,  when  it  is  quietly  removed. 

There  is  little  to  be  said  in  commendation  of  this  mystery 
play.  A  relic  of  semi-barbarous  days,  it  is  neither  interest- 
ing nor  edifying.  If  it  were  not  that  the  subject  of  the  play 
is  so  sacred  the  whole  affair  would  be  ridiculous.  It  is  an  an- 
cient practice  begun  in  an  age  of  ignorance,  but  is  certainly 
an  anachronism  in  the  closing  years  of  the  nineteenth  century 
even  in  the  unchanging  Orient. 

After  this  mystery  play  is  over  the  curious  are  glad  to  wan- 
der through  the  secluded  chapels  of  the  old  church  and  along 
its  vaulted  passages.  It  is  nearly  midnight  and  the  deep 
shadows  are  intensified  by  the  flicker  of  the  almost  consumed 
candles  and  glimmer  of  the  little  oil  lamps  with  their  floating 
wicks.  The  throng  of  Latin  worshippers  has  gone  and  the 
Moslem  guard  will  soon  close  the  church  for  the  night,  but 
there  is  an  evident  intention  on  the  part  of  many  to  pass  the 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  275 

night  within  the  sacred  enclosure.  In  out  of  the  way  places, 
on  the  narrow  stairways  leading  to  the  dome,  along  the 
gloomy,  unventilated  corridors,  heavy  with  the  poison  exhaled 
from  a  thousand  lungs,  are  to  be  seen  the  sleeping  forms  of 
many  Greek  and  Russian  pilgrims.  They  have  had  no  part 
nor  interest  in  the  evening's  performance,  but  have  taken  the 
opportunity  to  come  in  and  secure  a  place  to  pass  the  night  so 
as  to  be  ready  in  the  morning  to  take  up  a  position  near  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  to  witness  what  is  to  them  the  most  convinc- 
ing proof  of  divine  communion  with  men.  This  is  the  "  mir- 
acle" of  the  Holy  Fire,  scheduled  to  take  place  between  three 
and  four  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  The  suffering  these 
people  endure  in  order  to  witness  this  greatest  of  frauds  is  de- 
serving of  more  consideration  than  it  gets.  For  at  least  six- 
teen hours  they  remain  in  the  church  possessed  of  one  desire, 
namely  to  witness  the  descent  of  the  "  holy  fire  "  and  to  light 
their  candles  from  it.  During  at  least  eight  of  these  hours 
they  stand  in  one  place,  crowded  to  suffocation  and  moving 
only  when  some  convulsion  moves  the  entire  mass  or  when  the 
Turkish  soldiers  force  them  aside  to  make  a  way  for  some 
civil  dignitary  to  pass  through. 

Pilgrims  are  not  the  only  ones  who  are  willing  to  put  them- 
selves to  great  inconvenience  to  behold  this  strange  spectacle 
and  the  cause  of  it.  American  and  English  ladies  and  gentle- 
men have  gone  here  early  on  the  morning  of  this  day,  taken 
their  lunch  with  them,  and  securing  the  best  place  they  could 
find,  there  stayed  through  the  long  stifling  hours,  crushed  and 
crowded ;  and  treated  to  the  continual  din  of  a  mob  whose 
shouting  would  drown  the  voices  of  the  brokers  on  the  floor  of 
the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  on  an  exciting  day. 

No  one  can  describe  the  scene  that  is  enacted  at  this  time. 

It  has  been  attempted  many  times,  but  without  success.     There 

is  nothing  to  which  one  can  compare  it,  for  there  is  nothing 

on  earth  like  it.     Dean  Stanley1  tries  to  convey  it  to  the 

1  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  466. 


276  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

minds  of  his  readers  by  saying  "A  succession  of  gambols  takes 
place  which  an  Englishman  can  only  compare  to  a  mixture  of 
prisoner's  base,  football  and  leap  frog,  round  and  round  the 
Holy  Sepulchre."  It  is  all  this  and  much  more.  Added  to 
the  shouts  of  men  are  the  screams  of  women  and  the  cries  of 
babies.  One  pities  the  babies  and  wonders  at  the  folly  of  the 
parents  who  bring  them  to  such  a  place  at  such  a  time.  Here 
and  there  are  men  standing  upon  the  shoulders  of  others  or 
walking  about  from  shoulder  to  shoulder  over  the  heads  of 
others,  wildly  gesticulating  and  yelling  under  the  frenzy  of  re- 
ligious enthusiasm.  The  Greek  and  Arab  Christians  are  much 
more  vociferous  than  the  Russians.  It  was  formerly  believed 
that  unless  they  ran  around  the  tomb  a  certain  number  of  times 
the  fire  from  heaven  would  not  come.  There  is  no  such  run- 
ning now.  Humanity  is  wedged  together  too  closely,  and  the 
bulwark  of  Turkish  soldiers  prevents  it. 

As  the  hour  approached  on  Easter  eve  of  1895  when  the 
procession  of  Greek  priests  was  expected  to  make  its  appear- 
ance the  noise  was  almost  deafening.  With  wild  shouting, 
frenzied  hand -clapping  and  blowing  of  horns  the  crowd 
amused  itself  and  the  spectators  in  the  galleries  of  the  Latins, 
where  each  consul  is  given  an  alcove  to  which  he  can  invite 
his  male  friends  to  the  number  of  ten  or  more.  The  burden 
of  the  shouting  can  be  made  out  by  practiced  ears.  A  knot 
of  a  dozen  or  so  men  stationed  near  the  entrance  of  the 
sepulchre  are  repeating  in  chorus  and  incessantly,  "This  is 
the  tomb  of  Jesus  Christ."  Not  far  from  them  are  others 
vying  with  them  in  loudness  of  tone,  but  their  strain  is  "  This 
is  the  day  the  Jew  mourns  and  the  Christian  rejoices."  An- 
other lot  repeat  "Jesus  Christ  has  redeemed  us."  Amidst  it 
all  can  be  heard  occasionally,  "God  save  the  Sultan."  For  a 
professedly  religious  exercise  this  is  wondrously  inappropriate. 
The  stolid  Turkish  soldiers,  no  doubt  wondering  at  these  un- 
seemly acts  and  cries  of  Christians  in  this  their  most  sacred 
cathedral,  stand  around  the  sepulchre  ready  when  the  signal 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  277 

is  given  to  clear  a  passage  for  the  patriarchal  procession  or  to 
obey  any  command  of  their  superiors.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem  these  soldiers  are  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  affair.  The 
performance  could  not  go  on  without  them  and  yet  their  only 
object  is  to  keep  the  peace  and  prevent  Christians  of  different 
sects  from  shedding  each  other's  blood.  At  this  time  more 
than  any  other  the  feeling  of  bitter  sectarianism  runs  high  and 
all  it  needs  is  for  some  brainless  fanatic  to  transgress  the  rights 
of  some  other  than  his  own  sect  and  a  riot  will  be  on  in  a 
minute.  This  happened  in  1834  and  is  likely  to  recur  at  any 
time.  On  that  occasion  a  disturbance  took  place  and  an  order 
was  issued  to  suppress  it.  The  soldiers  were  only  too  willing 
to  obey,  and  in  a  short  time  the  floor  was  strewn  with  three 
hundred  bodies  of  those  who  had  been  slain  by  Turkish 
weapons,  or  trampled  to  death  during  that  short  reign  of 
terror.  The  present  soldiers  look  like  men  who  would  not 
hesitate  to  repeat  that  scene  with  this  generation  of  Christians 
for  their  victims. 

When  two  o'clock  arrived  on  this  particular  afternoon  Bed- 
lam was  equalled  by  the  commotion  and  noise.  All  were  in 
suspense  waiting  for  the  signal  for  the  procession  to  begin. 
Time  wore  on  till  half-past  two  and  there  was  no  sign  given. 
A  little  difficulty  had  arisen  about  which  the  multitude  knew 
nothing.  It  was  so  trivial  as  to  be  childish,  and  yet  it  was 
considered  so  serious  that  the  patriarchs  of  the  Greek  and 
Armenian  Churches  took  it  up,  the  Moslem  Pasha  of  Jerusalem 
was  appealed  to  as  an  arbiter  and  it  looked  for  a  time  as  if  the 
coming  of  the  "holy  fire"  was  to  be  indefinitely  postponed. 
Seated  as  I  was  near  the  Pasha  the  whole  by-play  was  plain 
before  me.  First  would  come  a  Greek,  then  an  Armenian, 
each  endeavoring  to  persuade  His  Excellency  as  to  the  justice 
of  his  presentation  of  the  facts.  It  was  all  over  a  miserable 
little  oil  lamp  worth  a  few  cents,  but  it  was  Greek  property, 
and  the  Armenian  had  blown  out  its  light  by  mistake  or 
touched  it,  or  done  something  equally  heinous,  and  deserved 


278  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

instant  and  severe  punishment.  The  point  was  finally  decided, 
but  not  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Armenians,  and  the  unholy 
farce  proceeded. 

In  former  times  all  the  Churches  participated  in  this  cere- 
mony. The  Greeks  now  assume  entire  responsibility  for  it 
though  the  Armenians  and  Copts  are  represented  in  the  pro- 
cession. Up  to  the  sixteenth  century  the  Latins  were  eager 
participants  in  it,  but  now  the  enmity  existing  for  centuries 
between  these  two  Churches  finds  vent  in  the  ridicule  heaped  by 
the  Latin  priests,  on  the  Greek  fire.  In  "  The  Annals  of  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  "  they  show  their  present  estimate  of 
it  by  terming  it  "a  ridiculous  and  superstitious  ceremony." 

Several  bells  in  the  Greek  chapel  begin  ringing  vigorously 
and  the  crowd  knows  by  this  and  by  the  voices  of  singers  that 
the  first  scene  is  about  to  be  presented.  Immediately  room  is 
made  by  the  double  line  of  soldiers,  as  shoulder  to  shoulder 
they  back  against  the  apparently  solid  mass  of  humanity 
around  the  sepulchre  and  the  walls  of  the  rotunda.  But  the 
way  is  cleared  ;  the  banners,  taking  in  the  ritual  the  places  of 
images,  are  borne  in  front,  and  just  after  them  is  a  double  line 
of  singers  and  chanting  priests,  in  all  about  fifty.  For  a  time 
the  noise  of  the  rabble  ceases,  but  as  the  procession  moves 
slowly  and  with  evident  solemnity  it  again  breaks  out,  and 
along  with  the  chanting  is  heard  the  shriek  of  the  half-savage 
Arab  Christian. 

One  thing  now  noticed  is  the  Holy  Sepulchre  chapel  itself. 
There  it  stands  grim  and  silent  and  dark  amid  that  sea  of 
faces  and  roar  of  voices — a  quiet  protest,  one  can  almost 
imagine,  against  the  whole  nefarious  business.  Every  candle 
and  lamp  has  been  extinguished.  On  ordinary  feast  days 
there  are  hundreds  of  these  burning.  On  the  morning  of  this 
day  is  the  only  time  in  the  year  when  they  are  put  out  and 
new  candles  and  flesh  oil  supplied,  all  to  be  lighted  again  by 
the  fire  from  heaven.  This  absence  of  artificial  light  makes 
the  chapel  have  a  neglected  look.     One  sees  it  just  as  it  is, 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  279 

with  the  exception  of  the  cheap  pictures  which  are  hung 
around  it,  and  which  look  all  the  cheaper  now.  But  this 
absence  of  light  within  and  without  is  necessary.  There  must 
be  no  visible  suggestion  of  imposture,  no  matter  how  much 
actual  imposture  there  may  be. 

The  procession  moves  very  slowly  around,  along  the  passage 
flanked  on  both  sides  with  soldiers.  There  is  a  tremor  in  the 
crowd  and  in  the  very  air  itself  as  though  something  unusual 
were  about  to  take  place — something  more  than  the  coming  of 
the  fire.  A  number  of  Armenian  priests  having  looks  of  de- 
termination in  their  faces  are  standing  on  the  south  side  of  the 
sepulchre  near  the  wall  of  the  rotunda.  When  the  procession 
is  making  its  third  round  and  the  patriarch  is  about  to  ascend 
to  the  little  platform  in  front  of  the  Holy  Cave,  there  is  a 
grand  rush  on  the  part  of  the  Armenians.  It  was  a  movement 
that  would  have  done  honor  to  the  rush  line  of  a  'Varsity  foot- 
ball team.  They  forced  their  way  through  the  crowd  of  pil- 
grims, through  the  line  of  soldiers  and  placed  one  of  their 
priests  right  beside  the  Greek  patriarch.  Some  such  action  on 
their  part  was  expected,  and  when  it  came  Greeks  and  Turks 
were  partially  prepared.  Then  there  was  war.  It  was  a  mass 
of  wriggling,  struggling,  shrieking  priests  and  soldiers,  each 
apparently  endeavoring  to  do  all  possible  injury  to  whomever 
he  could  reach.  No  respect  was  shown  the  patriarch.  He 
was  pushed  and  pulled  by  his  own  and  the  opposing  priests  and 
was  only  with  difficulty  saved  from  severe  treatment.  His 
episcopal  dignity  was  gone,  his  heavy  crown  almost  rolled  on 
the  floor  and  he  himself  was  quivering  with  fright  when  they 
finally  got  him  out  of  the  reach  of  harm.  But  the  fight  went 
on.  Greek  trampled  on  Armenian,  and  Armenian  on  Greek,  and 
Turk  on  both.  Though  doing  his  very  best  the  commanding 
orficer  seemed  unable  to  separate  the  combatants.  The  bugle 
rr.ng  out  time  after  time  and  detachment  after  detachment  of 
soldiers  plunged  into  the  melee.  At  times  they  seemed  to 
have  it  under  control  and  then  it  would  break  out  with  re- 


280  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

newed  vigor.  This  went  on  for  fifteen  minutes.  Just  how 
much  damage  was  done  nobody  will  ever  know.  There  were  a 
number  of  bruised  faces  and  broken  heads,  and  a  report  was 
current  that  two  pilgrims  had  died  from  the  effects  of  injuries 
received.  An  incident  like  this  shows  just  how  necessary  the 
soldiers  are  on  these  occasions.  Had  they  not  been  on  hand 
these  frenzied  fanatics  would  have  killed  each  other,  and  there 
would  have  been  little  cause  for  regret  if  they  had. 

The  trouble  arose  because  of  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  Ar- 
menians to  have  two  of  their  priests  go  with  the  Greek  patri- 
arch as  far  as  the  Chapel  of  the  Angels.  The  Armenians 
generally  regard  the  holy  fire  as  a  fraud  and  their  patriarch  at 
Jerusalem  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  perpetration  of  it. 
He  sends  one  of  his  ordinary  priests  to  represent  him.  This 
priest  and  a  Coptic  delegate  have  the  right  to  go  as  far  as  the 
above  mentioned  chapel,  while  the  Greek  patriarch  goes  alone 
into  the  Sepulchre  Chapel  proper.  This  year,  report  says, 
the  Armenians  tried  to  have  two  priests  go  in,  not  that  they 
cared  thus  to  honor  the  "fire,"  but  simply  to  annoy  the 
Greeks.  This  is  what  started  this  disgraceful  row — the  worst 
for  years — so  say  the  Greeks  ;  the  Armenians  refuse  to  speak 
of  it ;  which  goes  to  prove  that  they  were  in  the  wrong,  or 
else  are  justly  ashamed  of  having  been  party  to  the  shameful 
occurrence. 

The  Armenians  failed  to  carry  their  point.  America  con- 
tributed largely  to  their  defeat.  Just  here  the  Greeks  showed 
their  foresight.  Anticipating  trouble  they  had  secured  the 
services  of  an  American  professional  boxer  and  wrestler,  fitted 
him  up  in  the  garb  of  a  priest  and  made  him  one  of  the  patri- 
arch's bodyguard.  He  did  good  service  for  the  cause  for 
which  he  had  been  retained.  As  soon  as  the  patriarch  was  in 
danger  the  American  seized  him,  forced  his  way  through  the 
crowd  and  helped  him  into  the  sepulchre.  Then  he  stood 
guard  at  the  door  and  as  fast  as  any  of  the  opposition  came 
in  the  way  made  them  feel  the  force  of  his  ponderous  fist.     It 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  281 

was  a  beautiful  exhibition  of  professional  skill,  but  not  of  a 
profession  usually  associated  with  priests  or  exhibited  in  holy 
places. 

Quiet  was  finally  restored.  The  patriarch  was  in  the  little 
Chapel  of  the  Sepulchre.  The  runners  were  at  the  openings 
through  which  the  fire  would  come  if  it  came  at  all.  Tourists 
and  pilgrims  were  on  the  alert  to  catch  the  first  view  of  it. 
In  a  few  moments  the  hand  of  a  priest  reaching  in  drew  out 
what  appeared  to  be  a  large  torch  all  aflame,  first  on  the  side  of 
the  Greeks  and  then  on  that  of  the  Armenians.  Off  dashed 
the  runners  with  it  to  light  the  lamps  and  candles  in  the  vari- 
ous chapels  near.  A  horseman  carries  it  to  Bethlehem  and  the 
lamps  in  the  Greek  Church  there  and  in  the  Grotto  of  the 
Nativity  are  relighted.  It  is  carried  north,  and  the  churches 
and  convents  through  the  land  as  far  as  Nazareth  get  the  fresh 
fire.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  the  whole  floor  of  the  ro- 
tunda is  a  mass  of  moving  flame.  Pilgrims  and  tourists  had 
candles  which  they  lit  as  fast  as  they  could  pass  the  fire  from 
one  to  the  other.  Every  pilgrim  believes  that  this  light  is 
caused  by  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  tomb.  Every 
intelligent  priest  and  tourist  believes  it  is  caused  by  the  patri- 
arch with  the  assistance  of  a  match.  The  patriarch  and  priests 
say  nothing  about  it.     They  allow  each  to  have  his  opinion. 

In  a  recent  conversation  with  one  of  the  Greek  priests, 
one  very  near  to  the  patriarch,  I  was  informed  that  the 
Church  did  not  hold  that  this  fire  really  came  down  from 
heaven.  "But,"  I  replied,  "do  not  the  ignorant  pilgrims, 
and  in  fact  the  great  majority  of  the  membership  of  your 
Church,  so  believe  ;  and  does  the  Church  through  its  spiritual 
leaders  do  anything  to  let  them  know  the  truth  about  it  ?  "  He 
acknowledged  that  it  did  not  and  gave  as  a  reason  that  it  dared 
not.  The  shock  this  information  would  give  to  the  faith  of 
the  pilgrims  in  their  Church  would  be  fatal.  Their  Church  is 
their  religion  and  it  has  allowed  them  to  believe,  if  it  has  not 
actually  taught  them,  that  this  fire  is  of  divine  origin,  really 


282  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  visible  manifestation  of  God  Himself.     What  ignorance  on 
the  one  hand ;  what  wretched  weakness  on  the  other  ! 

In  ten  minutes  after  the  first  appearance  of  the  fire  every 
candle  and  lamp  has  been  lighted.  The  pilgrims  have  held 
their  hands  in  the  flame  of  their  tapers  and  not  been  burned, 
have  let  the  melted  wax  run  onto  their  hands  and  then  rubbed 
them  over  their  faces  and  through  their  hair.  Up  the  stairs, 
through  the  dark  passages,  into  every  chapel  and  alcove  the 
fire  has  been  passed.  Everything  is  rejoicing  in  fresh  illumi- 
nation except  the  Latin  chapels  and  that  part  of  the  rotunda 
in  the  second  story  belonging  to  the  Franciscans.  In  this  lat- 
ter place  are  the  consuls  of  the  various  powers  with  their 
friends.  In  that  part  assigned  to  the  American  were  a  couple 
of  gentlemen  who  wished  to  take  away  some  memento  of  the 
occasion  and  had  brought  candles  to  light,  let  burn  awhile  and 
then  extinguish.  Not  knowing  the  absolute  enmity  of  the 
Franciscans  against  the  recent  proceedings  they  took  the  fire 
from  some  Greeks  in  a  near  apartment  which  communicated 
with  theirs  by  a  grated  window.  In  an  instant  an  infuriated 
creature  in  the  garb  of  a  monk  rushed  in,  seized  the  candles  in 
the  hand  of  one  of  the  party  and  before  the  owner  of  them 
knew  what  was  going  on  had  torn  them  from  his  grasp.  Then 
turning  to  another  whose  candles  were  still  burning  he  seized 
these  and  extinguished  them.  This  person  had  recovered 
from  his  surprise  and  resenting  what  looked  like  an  uncalled 
for  insult  treated  the  monk  to  a  specimen  of  true  American  re- 
sentment. The  surprise  was  now  on  the  other  side  and  when 
the  brother  gathered  himself  together  he  immediately  appealed 
to  the  French  consul  who  is  the  protector  of  the  Latins. 
Matters  were  soon  explained  between  the  two  consuls  and 
peace  restored  for  the  time.  This  incident  proved  that  the 
Latins  are  just  as  violent  in  their  fanaticism  as  the  Greeks 
whom  they  ridicule  on  this  account.  And  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  president  of  the  Franciscan  convent  was  the  chief 
actor  in  this  scene. 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  283 

As  soon  as  all  have  received  the  fire  the  wild  enthusiasm 
ceases  so  suddenly  as  to  excite  wonder.  All  the  curious  vis- 
itors leave  the  church,  glad  the  weird,  wild  ceremony  is  over 
and  rejoicing  to  be  again  in  the  fresh  air.  They  have  seen  the 
"holy  fire"  once,  and  once  is  enough  for  all  time.  But  the 
pilgrims  do  not  leave  the  church.  For  them  there  is  yet 
something  of  importance,  and  they  are  to  spend  another  night 
within  the  sacred  enclosure.  When  the  shadows  deepen  they 
can  be  seen — men  and  women — as  on  the  previous  night, 
sleeping  in  every  available  corner  except  the  Latin  chapel. 
They  are  preparing  themselves  for  the  midnight  office,  when 
the  services  of  Easter  morning  begin. 

With  the  coming  of  the  "holy  fire"  the  main  part  of  the 
Greek  Easter  is  over.  Surely  no  one  ought  to  be  more  thank- 
ful that  it  is  passed  than  the  patriarch  himself.  To  be  con- 
scious of  having  played  the  chief  part  in  a  stupendous  fraud, 
a  part  he  must  play  or  be  deposed  from  his  patriarchate,1  must 
belittle  a  man  in  his  own  estimation.  Taking  everything  into 
consideration,  the  place,  the  time  and  the  attendant  circum- 
stances, this  so-called  "  miracle  of  the  holy  fire  "  is  as  Dean 
Stanley  characterizes  it,  "  probably  the  most  offensive  delusion 
to  be  found  in  the  world." 

The  perpetrators  of  this  unprofitable  and  inexcusable  fraud 
claim  for  the  practice  a  very  great  antiquity  ;  and  justly,  for  it 
is  mentioned  by  a  traveller2  as  early  as  the  ninth  century.  It 
has  been  continued  ever  since  during  Christian  occupation  of 
the  city ;  it  was  one  of  the  causes  that  led  to  the  destruction 
of  the  church  by  the  Caliph  Hakam.  On  the  reconstruction 
of  the  building  the  "  holy  fire  "  rite  was  revived  and  just  be- 
fore  the   Crusaders   entered   Jerusalem  one  of  the  Fatimite 

1  Van  Egmont  gives  an  account  of  an  exile  he  met  at  Mount  Sinai  who 
had  refused  appointment  to  the  Jerusalem  patriarchate  because  of  his  un- 
willingness to  take  part  in  what  he  regarded  as  a  fraud.  See  Sinai  and 
Palestine,  p.  470,  note. 

*  Bernard  the  Wise  870  c.  Early  Travels  in  Palestine. 


284  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

caliphs  of  Egypt  is  said  to  have  tested  the  genuineness  of  the 
miracle.  Instead  of  permitting  the  use  of  ordinary  wicks  for 
the  lamps,  he  had  iron  ones  prepared,  rightly  inferring  that  if 
the  fire  was  from  heaven  the  quality  of  the  wicks  would  not 
affect  its  appearance.  We  are  informed  that  the  fire  appeared 
as  usual  and  the  iron  wicks  immediately  ignited. 

Just  when  or  why  this  ceremony  was  first  performed  no  one 
can  say  positively.  It  may  have  been  one  of  the  earliest  of 
the  miracle-plays  in  which  was  represented  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  the  first  Pentecost  after  our  Lord's  ascension, 
when  "There  appeared  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire  and  it 
sat  upon  each  of  them."  *  Or  it  may  be  a  continuation  into 
Christian  times  of  a  belief  that  was  prevalent  in  ancient  days 
among  most  peoples — a  belief  in  the  miraculous  appearance  of 
fire.  The  modern  Moslems  assert  that  on  every  Friday  this 
dazzling  heavenly  light  appears  in  the  tombs  of  their  saints. 
On  a  visit2  to  the  Mosque  at  Hebron  I  was  informed  by  one  of 
the  sheikhs  that  the  reason  the  cave  where  the  bodies  of  the 
patriarchs  lie  buried  is  closed  up  by  masonry  is  because  of  the 
powerful  light  within  which  would  immediately  strike  with 
blindness  or  even  death  any  one  who  was  unfortunate  enough 
to  behold  it. 

Whatever  was  originally  symbolized  by  this  Greek  fire  has 
been  so  long  lost  that  nothing  now  remains  but  the  supersti- 
tious idea  of  the  pilgrims  that  it  is  the  manifestation  of  God. 
How  long  this  idea  will  hold  them  depends  upon  the  power  of 
the  Church  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance.  The  ceremony 
is  not  the  same  in  every  particular  as  formerly  ;  certain  fea- 
tures have  been  omitted,  as,  for  instance,  the  letting  out  of  a 
dove  from  the  sepulchre  just  before  the  fire  appeared.  The 
continuance  of  the  whole  observance  is  a  sacrilege  and  an  evi- 
dence of  great  weakness  in  the  Church  that  is  responsible  for  it. 

By  ten  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  Easter  is  over.  In  the 
grounds  about  the  Russian  buildings  a  general  moving  day  has 

1  Acts  ii.  3.  «  May  13th,  1895,  m  company  with  Minister  Terrell. 


Passion  Week  and  Easter  285 

come.  Hundreds  have  their  bundles  and  boxes  packed  and 
are  waiting  for  porters  and  wagons  to  carry  them  to  the  station 
near  the  colony  of  the  German  Templars,  half  a  mile  south  - 
west  of  the  city.  A  special  train  takes  the  uncouth,  but  exult- 
ant pilgrims  to  Jaffa,  where  after  many  tribulations  they  are 
transported  from  the  shore  to  a  Russian  ship  that  is  waiting  to 
convey  them  to  Odessa.  On  arriving  there  they  separate  and 
seek  their  various  homes  in  the  land  of  the  Tsar. 


THE  JEWS  IN  JERUSALEM 


The  Jew  and  Civilization — Religion  and  Culture — Unfair 
Estimate  of  the  Hebrew — Peculiar — Persecutions — Number  of 
Jews  in  Jerusalem — A  Census — Variety  of  Jews — Increasing — 
Causes  of  Increase — Prohibition — Departures — Racial  Purity 
— Divisions — Ashkenazim — Sephardim — Persians — Yemenites 
— Caraites — Chassidim — Bond  of  Religion — Rabbis — Syna- 
gogues— Wall  of  Wailing — Visitors — Wretched  Homes — Suf- 
fering— Jewish  Colonies — Home  Life — Respect  for  Parents — 
Jewish  Women — Resemblance  to  Arabs — Education — Schools 
— Unwisdom  of  the  Jew — Marriages — Divorce — Religious 
Feasts — Day  of  Atonement — Purim — Tabernacles — Supersti- 
tions— Messianic  Beliefs — Christian  Missions — A  Charem — 
Opposition  to  Missions — Haluka,  or  Charity  Funds — Kolil 
America — Jewish  Nationalism. 


288 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  JEWS   IN   JERUSALEM 

THE  features  and  the  habits  of  the  descendants  of  Jacob 
are  known  in  every  part  of  the  civilized  world.  The 
Jew  has  been  the  agent  of  civilization.  His  proverbial  acute- 
ness  has  led  him  to  reap  the  benefits  of  civilization  ;  while  in 
his  world-wide  dispersion  he  has  carried  the  advantages  of 
civilization  with  him  to  quarters  where  its  benign  influence 
had  not  been  felt.  Whatever  the  popular  view  may  be,  the 
Jew  has  undoubtedly  been  an  advance  agent  and  a  continuing 
force  in  the  spread  of  civilization. 

When  the  legions  of  Titus  destroyed  Jerusalem  and  drove  its 
inhabitants  into  exile,  the  homeless  ones  carried  into  strange 
lands  their  religion  and  their  culture.  Of  their  religion  his- 
torians have  told  us  again  and  again.  But  of  their  culture  we 
are  not  so  well  informed.  The  historians  of  this  people  give 
an  undue  weight  to  their  religious  beliefs  and  practices.  There 
is  a  large  volume  yet  to  be  written  concerning  their  intellec- 
tual and  aesthetic  beliefs  and  practices.  To  the  lack  of  such 
accounts  is  due  the  great  ignorance  among  people  otherwise 
intelligent  as  to  the  Jew's  contribution  to  the  present  state  of 
the  civilized  world.  We  have  estimated  the  race  long  enough 
from  what  we  have  seen  of  a  few  specimens  of  peddlers  and 
dealers  in  old  clothes ;  or  perhaps  from  that  sleek  and  sly 
representative  who  is  always  on  the  alert  to  benefit  himself  at 
the  expense  of  others  regardless  of  the  method.  It  ought  to 
be  remembered  that  these  are  exceptions,  the  dregs,  as  it  were, 
of  a  people,  which,  in  whatever  land  it  has  been,  has  con- 
tributed largely  to  its  moral,  intellectual  and  political  advance- 
ment. 

289 


290  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

With  these  few  preliminary  remarks  we  turn  to  view  the 
remnant  of  this  people,  which,  in  its  wanderings,  has  found 
its  way  back  to  its  ancestral  city. 

Wherever  the  Jew  is  he  is  worthy  of  intelligent  considera- 
tion. He  has  always  been  regarded  as  peculiar ;  and  justly 
so.  Because  of  this  peculiarity  he  is  doubtfully  regarded  in 
most  communities  and  in  some  looked  upon  with  a  disfavor  so 
decided  that  it  results  in  persecution.  The  Anti-Semitism, 
which  is  disgracefully  conspicuous  in  some  parts  of  the  world 
even  now,  is  directed  against  this  peculiarity.  To  my  mind  it 
is  but  the  expression  of  envy  and  is  a  method  which  meanness 
takes  to  injure  a  successful  rival.  It  has  been  the  cause  in 
times  past  and  now  of  bringing  back  to  Jerusalem  the  descend- 
ants of  its  former  inhabitants. 

In  the  days  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  when  the  Jews  were 
driven  from  Spain,  some  of  the  refugees  never  rested  perma- 
nently till  they  found  protection  under  the  Sultan  and  made 
homes  for  themselves  in  the  then  poor  little  city  that  occupied 
part  of  the  site  of  the  once  glorious  capital  of  their  nation. 
There  are  families  here  now  who  can  trace  their  descent  in 
unbroken  line  from  these  victims  of  Spanish  oppression. 

Many  cities  of  America  and  Europe  have  larger  Jewish 
populations  than  has  this — the  world's  capital  of  Judaism. 
London  and  New  York  each  has  more  of  these  people  than 
can  be  found  in  all  Palestine.  The  superiority  in  population 
of  these  cities  does  not,  however,  detract  from  the  religious 
preeminence  of  the  City  of  Zion,  nor  can  it  give  them  the 
place  in  the  hearts  or  the  prayers  of  this  scattered  people  that 
Jerusalem  holds. 

Of  the  85,000  Jews  in  Palestine  fully  one-half  are  living 
within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  or  in  the  twenty-three  colonies 
that  cluster  just  outside  the  walls.  This  number,  42,500,  is 
an  estimate  only,  but  is  made  after  careful  investigation  by 
good  judges.  No  house-to-house  census  is  ever  taken  here. 
The  Jews  are  opposed  to  it  on  the  grounds  of  religion,  and  on 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  291 

very  good  financial  grounds  also.  They  fear  a  new  tax,  and 
would  certainly  prevaricate  to  avoid  it. 

Among  the  number  of  Jews  here  can  be  found  citizens  of 
nearly  every  country  on  earth.  The  list  of  strangers  who  were 
in  the  city  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  as  described  in  the  second 
chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  can  be  duplicated  to-day 
and  increased  by  the  names  of  many  lands  and  nations  of 
which  history  was  not  then  cognizant.  These  foreign  subjects 
remain  foreigners,  their  papers  of  citizenship  bring  the  evi- 
dence of  their  right  to  protection  under  some  Christian  flag, 
though  they  dwell  in  the  Sultan's  realm.  Fully  one-half  of 
the  Jewish  residents  owe  allegiance  to  foreign  powers.  This 
is,  no  doubt,  a  good  thing  for  them,  but  it  is  hardly  justice  to 
the  Turk,  nor  in  fact  to  the  power  that  protects  them.  The 
various  Sultans  of  Turkey  have  shown  great  courtesy  to  the 
Jews  at  various  times,  but  just  now  the  Jews  under  foreign 
protection  seem  to  prefer  to  remain  there.  For  political  rea- 
sons Jewish  Congresses  may  pass  resolutions  complimenting 
the  Sultan,  as  we  have  recently  seen,  but  at  the  same  time  and 
for  the  same  reasons  the  members  passing  the  resolutions  prefer 
not  to  transfer  their  citizenship. 

The  number  of  Jews  in  Jerusalem  is  slowly  increasing. 
During  the  last  years  of  the  decade  previous  to  1890  the  in- 
crease was  phenomenal.  Cruel  oppression  in  Russia  com- 
pelled many  to  look  elsewhere  for  homes  and  their  eyes  turned 
longingly  to  the  land  promised  to  their  fathers.  They  came 
in  large  numbers,  hoping  to  better  their  condition,  and,  had 
the  free  entrance  granted  at  that  time  been  continued,  the 
Hebrew  population  of  to-day  would  have  been  at  least  double 
what  it  is.  Just  why  the  permission  was  not  continued  no  One 
outside  of  official  circles  knows.  Their  coming  certainly 
would  have  added  to  the  importance  and  wealth  of  Palestine. 
But  the  Turkish  authorities  are  sensitive  and  perhaps  they  felt 
that  a  large  increase  of  these  foreigners  would  so  complicate 
matters  as  to  give  rise  to  difficulties  of  a  serious  political  na- 


292  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ture.  They  would  soon  present  a  problem  which  the  Turkish 
authorities  might  have  great  trouble  in  solving.  In  order  not 
to  have  to  solve  it  Jewish  immigration  was  prohibited.  Now 
they  do  not  come  in  large  numbers,  but  this  part  of  the  city's 
population  is  continually  on  the  increase.  Hardly  a  vessel 
puts  in  at  Jaffa,  but  leaves  one  or  more  who  has  come  to  live 
in  the  Holy  City. 

The  officials  of  Jaffa  frequently  exercise  their  authority 
against  these  newcomers  and  some  having  made  the  long 
journey  are  not  allowed  to  set  foot  on  shore.  However,  more 
land  in  joy  than  depart  in  sorrow.  When  the  strict  passport 
regulations  have  been  complied  with,  there  is  little  difficulty. 

That  the  prohibition  does  not  prohibit  may  be  easily  in- 
ferred from  the  continued  increase  of  the  Jewish  population  in 
the  cities  and  colonies.  In  Jerusalem  new  houses  are  con- 
tinually being  built,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  finished,  they  are 
occupied.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be  noted  that  many  are 
leaving  the  Holy  City  and  Land  to  join  the  dispersion  among 
the  Gentiles.  The  young  men  and  women,  many  of  them, 
have  a  longing  to  experience  a  more  active  life  than  can  be 
enjoyed  here.  Reports  of  business  prosperity  come  to  them 
from  friends  who  have  preceded  them  and  a  desire  to  partici- 
pate in  similar  successes  impels  them  to  desert  for  a  time  the 
quiet,  unbusinesslike  city  of  their  fathers.  Many  of  these 
more  progressive  ones  look  to  the  great  Republic  across  the 
Atlantic,  and,  as  soon  as  they  have  means  sufficient  to  pay 
their  passage,  thither  they  go.  I  have  met  many  of  these, 
but  among  them  have  never  known  one  who  was  leaving  with- 
out the  intention  to  return.  They  are  going  to  sojourn  for  a 
time  in  the  city  of  the  stranger  and  then  come  back  and  make 
a  home  in  the  city  they  love.  To  have  a  competence  sufficient 
to  enable  them  to  live  comfortably  in  Jerusalem  is  their  ideal, 
and  to  obtain  it  they  are  willing  to  endure  years  of  exile. 

A  study  of  the  Jew  in  modern  Jerusalem  will  compel  the 
honest  inquirer  to  revise  some  of  his  preconceived  notions  of 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  293 

the  Jewish  race.  There  is  no  doubt  that  as  a  race  the  Jews 
are  more  clearly  defined  and  of  purer  descent  than  any  other 
civilized  nation  of  to-day.  Because  of  their  general  refusal  to 
intermarry  with  the  people  among  whom  they  are  resident, 
and  because  of  their  strict  adherence  to  their  law,  which 
applies  to  every  department  of  life,  they  have  remained  apart. 
That  this  exclusiveness  and  obedience  to  law  have  resulted  in 
racial  purity  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  At  the  same  time  they 
have  not  produced  unity  in  the  race,  and  when  we  discourse 
about  the  Jewish  type,  we  must,  in  order  to  be  exact,  describe 
what  type,  for  they  are  many.  In  the  varied  experiences 
through  which  these  people  have  passed  during  historical 
times,  foreign  elements  have  been  forcibly  engrafted  upon 
them  and  Jewish  maidens  have  become  the  wives  of  their  con- 
querors. At  least  in  one  instance  a  whole  non-Jewish  tribe — 
the  Chazari — became  converted  to  Judaism  and  were  assimi- 
lated. The  Jew  also  is  no  exception  to  the  rule  that  a  person  is 
affected  by  climatic  and  social  conditions.  He  comes  in  time 
to  resemble  the  people  among  whom  he  lives  and  to  partake  to 
a  greater  or  less  degree  of  their  peculiarities.  This  will 
account  for  the  great  variety  of  Jew,  in  appearance,  in  habits, 
and  in  intelligence,  as  seen  in  Jerusalem  to-day.  The 
Occidental  Jew  differs  in  every  respect  from  his  Oriental  co- 
religionist as  much  as  the  American  differs  from  the  Arab. 

Among  the  Jerusalem  Jews  there  are  several  clearly  marked 
divisions,  divisions  not  caused  by  religious  variations,  except 
in  the  case  of  the  Caraites,  but  due  to  the  difference  in  locality. 
The  largest  division  is  that  of  the  Ashkenazim,  and  includes 
those  from  Russia  and  the  countries  of  Central  Europe.  These 
all  speak  a  common  language.  It  is  called  Yiddish  and  is  a 
jargon  in  which  German  predominates,  though  Russian  and 
Hebrew  words  are  not  uncommon  and  English  has  been  drawn 
upon  to  some  extent.  The  construction  of  this  conglomerate 
speech  is  that  of  the  German,  but  the  method  of  speaking  and 
the  accent  given  to  many  of  the  words  make  it  difficult  for 


294  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

those  acquainted  with  pure  German  to  understand.  The 
written  Yiddish  is  even  more  anomalous  and  hence  more 
difficult. 

Among  the  Ashkenazim  one  meets  a  great  variety  of  people. 
There  is  the  Russian  Jew,  a  man  whose  ancestors  have  for 
generations  lived  in  the  land  of  the  Tsar.  He  resembles  the 
pure  Russian  in  many  ways.  There  is  the  German  Jew,  the 
English  and  the  American,  each  partaking  in  some  measure 
of  the  peculiar  traits  of  the  people  among  whom  he  lived  be- 
fore coming  here.  Most  of  these  are  of  foreign  birth  and  it  is 
only  within  comparatively  recent  years  that  they  have  begun 
to  be  "lovers  of  Zion  "  to  an  extent  sufficient  to  induce  them 
to  come  and  live  within  her  walls.  The  injustice  which  they 
have  suffered  in  Russia  has  no  doubt  impelled  many  to  leave 
that  land  and  to  seek  the  peace  they  longed  for  within  the 
Sultan's  dominions.  From  choice  and  a  desire  to  dwell  on 
holy  soil  and  be  buried  in  it  those  from  America  and  England 
have  come. 

The  next  division  in  point  of  numbers  is  the  Sephardim.. 
These  come  from  the  Latin  countries  of  Europe  and  date  their 
arrival  from  the  persecutions  that  were  inflicted  upon  them, 
because  of  their  religion,  at  the  close  of  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury. Theirs  was  an  honorable  position  in  Spain  especially, 
and  in  Portugal,  Italy  and  France.  Spanish  injustice  deprived 
them  of  their  honors,  confiscated  their  lands  and  sent  them 
adrift  as  homeless  wanderers  to  find  dwellings  where  they 
could.  Many  went  to  Holland,  many  to  Italy,  taking  with 
them  their  culture  and  abilities  in  the  learned  professions. 
Some  wandered  as  far  as  Constantinople  and  found  protection 
under  the  reigning  Sultan,  Salim,  and  gained  high  positions 
under  him  and  his  successors  during  the  sixteenth  century. 
Some  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  their  descendants  are  here  yet. 
They  brought  back  with  them  the  culture  and  refinement  for 
which  they  were  noted  even  in  courtly  Spain,  and  these  excel- 
lent parts  are  seen  in  some  of  their  descendants  who  have  never 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  295 

been  outside  of  Palestine.    Many  of  them  are  poor,  but  poverty 
has  not  detracted  from  their  manhood  or  gentility. 

In  this  respect  they  are  generally  in  favorable  contrast  to 
the  Ashkenazim.  The  latter  are  less  careful  in  their  personal 
appearance  and  in  the  condition  of  their  residences.  The 
cause  of  this  is  not  that  the  Ashkenazim  are  poorer,  for  the 
opposite  is  the  case.  It  is  due  to  previous  conditions.  The 
Askenaz  is  the  descendant  of  the  Ghetto  and  the  limitations 
that  were  then  prescribed  bind  him  in  a  measure  still. 

It  has  at  times  struck  me  as  something  surprising  how 
cheaply  and  how  apparently  comfortably  a  Sephardim  family 
can  live.  In  some  cases  the  father  by  his  daily  toil  earns  but* 
two  dollars  per  week.  It  suffices,  and  he  does  not  ask  that  it 
be  augmented  by  a  donation  from  the  charity  funds  which  are 
contributed  for  the  support  of  their  unfortunate  co-religionists 
by  prosperous  Jews  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 

The  next  division  in  point  of  numbers  is  the  Jews  from 
Persia.  These  are  strictly  Oriental  in  appearance  and  in  hab- 
its. With  few  exceptions  they  are  poor  in  this  world's  goods, 
having  come  from  a  country  where  opportunities  for  money- 
getting  are  limited.  They  have  become  victims  of  a  habit 
very  common  in  the  Orient,  namely  that  of  begging,  and  per- 
sist in  practicing  it  even  when  there  is  no  need  of  doing  so. 
Of  all  the  Jews  here  they  are  the  most  ignorant  and,  like  their 
ancestors  of  long  ago,  have  partaken  deeply  of  Persian  super- 
stition ;  in  their  social  life  too  they  are,  as  a  class,  degraded. 

Another  type  of  Jew  has  within  the  past  few  years  made  his 
appearance  in  the  Holy  City.  He  differs  as  much  from  the 
Occidental  Jew  as  the  lithe,  sinewy  Bedouin  of  the  desert 
differs  from  the  heavy,  coarse-featured  Russian.  Having  come 
fn  m  Yemen  this  people  are  called,  for  lack  of  a  better  term, 
Yemenites.  In  appearance  they  are  very  dark-skinned,  small- 
featured  and  of  medium  height.  Their  history  is  not  well 
known,  but  they  are  thought  to  be  descendants  of  the  tribe  of 
Gad,  who,  after  the  exile  in  Babylon,  went  southward  and 


296  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

settled  in  Arabia,  preferring  a  voluntary  exile  to  a  return  to 
their  devasted  city  among  the  Judean  hills.  The  story  of  their 
return  now,  as  it  has  been  told  me,  has  much  of  the  romantic 
and  pathetic  in  it.  Cut  off  from  all  communications  with  the 
outside  world  they  had  become  possessed  with  the  belief  that 
their  long-promised  Messiah  was  about  to  make  his  appearance 
in  Jerusalem.  Wishing  to  be  present  at  that  sublime  event 
forty  families  made  the  arduous  journey  from  their  Arabian 
homes  to  Jerusalem.  Having  no  means  and  no  friends  their 
condition  was,  on  their  arrival,  pitiable.  Applications  for  as- 
sistance made  to  the  local  rabbis  were  treated  coldly,  and  in 
;their  perplexity  these  Yemenites  camped  on  a  vacant  lot  on  the 
Jaffa  road  just  outside  the  city  and  as  the  people  passed  called 
upon  all  alike  to  witness  their  condition  and  help  them.  This 
appeal  aroused  the  Jewish  authorities  to  activity  and  temporary 
homes  were  provided  for  them.  They  were  worthy  people  and 
have  since  demonstrated  their  industry  and  thrift.  Some  of 
them  are  now  well-to-do  and  own  their  own  little,  well-kept 
homes. 

The  Caraites  are  a  very  small  community  consisting  in  all 
of  about  fifty  souls.  They  are  in  disfavor  with  all  the  other 
Jews  because  of  their  non-acceptance  of  the  Talmud.  They 
discard  all  of  the  Mishnic,  or  Oral  Law,  and  regard  the  Old 
Testament  as  "  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice."  This  sect 
of  Jews  was  founded  at  Bagdad,  but  most  of  its  adherents  are 
now  living  in  southern  Russia.  Their  liturgy  is  much  simpler 
and  more  impressive  than  that  used  in  the  orthodox  synagogues. 
While  very  firm  in  their  beliefs  they  have  but  little  influence  in 
the  social  or  religious  life  of  the  city.  They  are  possessed  of 
but  one  synagogue,  which  is  located  almost  in  the  centre  of 
the  town  and  from  its  condition  appears  to  be  one  of  the  oldest 
structures.  It  is  almost  entirely  underground.  In  it  are  some 
rare  old  manuscripts.  The  Caraites  are  thought  to  resemble 
the  old   Sadducean   party  and   are  designated  by  Conder  as 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  297 

"low  Church"  Jews.  They  are  certainly  the  most  liberal 
Jewish  sect  here. 

To  these  divisions,  which  largely  follow  national  lines,  there 
are  others  which  are  marked  by  religious  differences.  The 
Chassidim  are,  as  their  name  implies,  the  ultra-pious  Jews,  and 
are  now,  as  they  have  been  since  post-exilic  times,  the  bul- 
wark of  Jewish  orthodoxy.  They  first  organized  themselves  to 
resist  the  Grecianizing  influences  that  were  alienating  the  peo- 
ple from  their  pure  Jehovah  worship.  Their  present  purpose 
is  similar  to  the  ancient  one,  but  the  power  against  which  they 
direct  their  energies  is  Christianity.  Although  arrogating  to 
themselves  the  special  virtues  of  protecting  Judaism  and  call- 
ing themselves  "  the  pious  ones  "  the  Jerusalem  representatives 
have  been  sufficiently  active  in  worldly  affairs  to  obtain  a  fair 
share  of  temporal  wealth.  As  a  class  they  are  considered  the 
wealthiest  among  the  Jerusalem  Jews,  though  those  from  Russia 
are  generally  quite  poor.  Their  number  in  the  city  is  about 
three  thousand  five  hundred. 

From  a  knowledge  of  the  various  divisions  of  Judaism  in  the 
Holy  City,  and  from  a  study  that  has  proved  to  me  that  the 
Jew  represents  in  appearance  and  in  character  "  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men  "  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Isaac 
DTsraeli  was  correct  in  saying  that,  "The  Jewish  people  are 
not  a  nation,  for  they  consist  of  many  nations;  they  are 
Spanish  or  Portuguese,  German  or  Polish ;  they  are  Italian, 
English  and  French,  and,  like  the  chameleon,  they  reflect  the 
color  of  the  spot  they  rest  on.  The  people  of  Israel  are  like 
the  waters  running  through  the  countries,  tinged  in  their  course 
with  all  the  varieties  of  the  soil  where  they  deposit  themselves. 
After  a  few  generations  the  Hebrews  assimilate  with  the  char- 
acter, and  are  actuated  by  the  feelings  of  the  nation  of  which 
they  become  part.  What  a  distinct  people  are  the  Jews  of 
London,  of  Paris,  of  Amsterdam,  from  the  Jews  of  Morocco, 
Damascus  and  the  Volga."  While  this  is  true,  it  is  no  less  so 
that  amid   this  great  variety  there  is  one  strong  bond  that 


298  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

makes  them  a  homogeneous  people.  It  is  the  bond  of  a  com- 
mon religion,  stronger  than  any  obligation  imposed  upon  them 
by  the  nations  to  which  they  have  attached  themselves;  to 
which  they  have  generously  contributed  of  their  energies  and 
talents,  and  for  which,  when  occasion  required  it,  they  have 
not  hesitated  to  shed  their  blood. 

This  bond  of  religion  that  holds  so  firmly  is  what  makes 
unity  amidst  such  great  diversity.  It  is  what  has  kept 
the  Jews  a  "peculiar  people,"  and,  unfortunately,  it  has  been 
the  real  cause  of  much  of  the  persecution  they  have  endured 
during  their  sojourn  among  the  nations.  In  no  place  in  the 
world  will  this  religion  in  its  purity  be  seen  to  better  and  to 
worse  advantage  than  in  Jerusalem.  To  better  advantage,  be- 
cause here  are  living  pious  Jews  who  are  "  Israelites  indeed," 
men  who  combine  zeal  in  their  religion  with  the  highest 
qualities  of  genuine  manhood,  and  who  would  be  respected 
for  their  sterling  worth  in  any  place  where  honor  and  real 
character  are  appreciated.  It  can  here  be  seen  at  its  worst, 
because  there  are  those  who,  under  the  pretense  of  piety  and 
with  a  show  of  zeal,  practice  to  deceive,  their  sole  object  be- 
ing to  impose  upon  the  charitable  feelings  of  their  co-religion- 
ists in  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  thus  to  maintain  them- 
selves in  comfortable  idleness.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  record 
as  my  belief  that  the  latter  class  outnumbers  the  former.  I 
am  sustained  in  this  view  by  the  opinions  of  many  of  the 
honorable  Jews  here. 

Rabbi  is  a  very  familiar  title  among  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem. 
How  many  are  deserving  enough  to  have  it  applied  to  them  is  a 
question.  In  most  instances  it  is  simply  used  as  a  term  of  re- 
spect. There  are  those,  however,  who  exercise  the  functions 
of  masters  and  are  recognized  by  their  people  as  acting  within 
their  jurisdiction  when  they  do  so.  Chief  among  these  and 
the  one  officially  recognized  by  the  Turkish  government 
authorities  is  the  Chachem  Bashi,  Jacob  Saul  Elyashur.  He 
is   a   man   of  great   age,  being   nearly  ninety,  and   of  great 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  299 

power.  In  a  recent  test  of  strength  he  proved  himself  a 
greater  force  in  the  community  than  the  Moslem  Pasha  of 
Palestine.  Other  rabbis,  such  as  Joshua  Diskin  and  Samuel 
Salant,  are  known,  the  former  for  his  erudition,  the  latter  for 
his  executive  ability,  wherever  Jews  are  found. 

In  every  quarter  of  the  city,  within  and  without  the  walls, 
small  synagogues  are  located.  The  entire  number  is  about 
two  hundred.  It  must  not  be  thought,  however,  that  each 
synagogue  is  a  separate  building.  Any  room  in  any  building 
may  be  devoted  to  this  purpose,  provided  it  has  been  properly 
consecrated.  It  is  the  ambition  of  many  aged  Jews,  who 
come  here  to  die  and  be  buried  in  the  holy  soil  of  Olivet,  to 
provide  for  the  establishment  of  a  small  synagogue,  in  which 
prayers  may  be  offered. 

Any  ten  adult  males — a  Jew  reaches  his  majority  at  thirteen 
— may  petition  to  have  such  a  room  set  apart  where  they  may 
read  their  prayers  and  spend  their  time  in  the  study  of  their 
Law.  Such  a  petition  is  usually  granted  provided  the  peti- 
tioners pledge  themselves  to  see  that  their  synagogue  is  prop- 
erly maintained. 

Three  large  synagogues  are  located  within  the  walls  in  the 
Jewish  quarter.  Two  of  these  belong  to  the  Sephardim  and 
are  known  as  Beth  Yakob,  or  House  of  Jacob,  and  Tiphereth 
Israel,  or  the  Glory  of  Israel.  K'hal  Stambouli,  the  Stamboul 
Congregation,  is  the  large  meeting-place  of  the  Ashkenazim. 
There  are  here  really  four  synagogues  in  one,  which  united 
can  accommodate  eight  hundred  worshippers.  At  all  hours  of 
the  day  men  will  be  found  in  these  larger  structures  busily  en- 
gaged in  the  study  of  the  Talmud  and  in  prayer.  Many  of 
these  are  aged  men  who  have  spent  their  lives  in  this  way, 
supported  by  the  charity  of  the  pious  Jews  of  foreign  lands, 
who,  themselves  unable  to  come  to  Jerusalem,  thus  secure  a 
representative  whose  prayers  ascend  from  the  Holy  City  for 
them.  It  maybe  truthfully  said  now  that  "Prayer  is  made 
continually  in  Jerusalem." 


300  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Not  a  synagogue,  but  a  place  as  holy  to  the  Jew  and  to  the 
Gentile  far  more  interesting,  is  a  small  paved  court  near  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  wall  enclosing  the  Haram  area.  This 
is  the  "Place  of  Wailing," — the  nearest  approach  the  pious 
Jew  ever  makes  to  the  sacred  enclosure  within  which  formerly 
stood  the  Temple  of  his  God.  Here  on  a  Friday  evening  and 
on  fast  days  may  be  witnessed  a  sight  unparalleled  for  strange- 
ness and  pathos.  Against  the  stones  of  the  old  wall  that  were 
put  in  place  by  the  masons  of  long  ago  Jewish  men  and 
women,  quaint  specimens  of  a  once  great  nation — stand  and 
read  their  prayers  and  weep  over  their  departed  glories  and 
their  desolated  city,  just  as  their  fathers  wept  by  the  waters  of 
Babylon.  The  old  stones  are  worn  smooth  by  the  affectionate 
kisses  of  the  faithful  and  by  the  touch  of  reverent  hands.  It 
is  hard  to  doubt  that  these  tears  are  sincere.  Surely  as  a 
people  the  Jews  have  suffered  enough  to  warrant  their  tears, 
and  here  in  the  shadow  of  the  temple  wall  the  meagreness  of 
their  present  privileges  is  sufficient  to  suggest  the  bitterness  of 
their  experiences. 

On  a  day  that  permits  this  small  court  will  be  filled  with 
men  and  women  who  have  come  to  beseech  Jehovah  to  re- 
member with  favor  His  ancient  people.  It  is  a  strange  gather- 
ing, unlike  any  other  on  earth.  To  the  frivolous  observer  the 
varied  and  quaint  costumes,  the  peculiar  intonations  and  the 
unusual  motions  of  the  body  are  amusing,  but  the  serious  man 
considers  their  motive  which  lends  an  air  of  sanctity  to  the 
place.  Surely  a  plot  of  ground  that  has  been  a  place  of 
prayer  for  centuries  has  some  claims  to  reverence,  and  a  peo- 
ple who  through  generations  have  continued  faithful  to  their 
religious  convictions,  however  mistaken  they  may  be,  will  be 
treated  with  disrespect  only  by  the  despicable. 

The  practice  of  meeting  at  the  "Wall  of  Wailing"  has 
continued  since  the  Middle  Ages.  The  same  litany  has  been 
chanted  all  these  years  and  the  same  prayers  read.  And  the 
end  is  not  yet !     In  their  chant  the  leader  says,  "  We  sit  in 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  301 

solitude  and  mourn,  for  the  palace  that  is  destroyed ;  for  the 
walls  that  are  overthrown  ;  for  our  majesty  that  is  departed ; 
for  the  great  men  who  lie  dead  ;  for  the  precious  stones  that 
are  burned  ;  for  the  priests  who  have  stumbled  ;  for  our  kings 
who  have  despised  us."  After  each  of  these  statements  the 
people  respond  in  pathetic  tones,  "  We  sit  in  solitude  and 
mourn."  Occasionally  another  prayer  is  used.  The  leader 
says,  "  May  peace  and  joy  abide  with  Zion,"  and  the  sug- 
gestive response  comes,  ' '  And  may  the  Branch  spring  up  at 
Jerusalem." 

Few  of  the  many  annual  visitors  from  Europe  and  America 
take  the  trouble  to  visit  the  real  Jewish  quarter  of  the  city, 
and  they  thus  miss  a  lasting  impression.  There  are  places  of 
human  habitation  that  are  as  wretched  as  some  of  these,  but 
surely  there  can  be  none  that  surpass  them  in  squalor.  More 
unwholesome  residences  could  not  be  devised  than  are  some  of 
these  underground  hovels  where  no  breath  of  untainted  air 
ever  finds  its  way.  From  observations  made  by  day  and  by 
night  in  these  wretched  holes,  misnamed  homes,  I  think  I 
have  learned  one  of  the  secrets  of  the  indestructibility  of  the 
Hebrews  :  they  can  survive  and  increase  and  seem  to  thrive 
amid  conditions  that  would  be  fatal  to  the  average  mortal. 

It  is  amazing  how  many  of  these  people  can  live  in  one 
small  room,  a  room  whose  only  method  of  ventilation  is  by 
the  door,  which  during  the  night  is  closed  and  barred.  Ten 
is  not  an  uncommon  number  to  find  thus  living.  There  will 
be  little  furniture  in  such  a  room  and  the  beds  are  but  heaps 
of  rags  on  the  floor.  There  are  those  even  too  poor  to  afford 
such  meagre  accommodations.  Some  of  these  are  provided 
for  in  places  not  fit  for  cattle.  I  have  seen  in  this  quarter  of 
the  city  deserted  wives  with  their  young  children  sleeping  in 
sheltered  corners  of  alleys  and  under  low  arches  that  span  the 
narrow  streets.  In  winter  when  the  weather  is  severe,  as  it 
frequently  is,  the  suffering  among  the  homeless  poor  is  very 
great.     At  such  times  the  synagogues  are  thrown  open  and 


302  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

men  and  boys  who  have  no  more  comfortable  place  are  al- 
lowed to  sleep  on  the  floors.  How  these  unfortunates  manage 
to  keep  soul  and  body  together  is  a  mystery  more  difficult  of 
solution  than  that  which  surrounds  the  fate  of  the  charity 
funds  that  are  poured  into  the  coffers  of  the  rabbis. 

From  the  contemplation  of  such  scenes  it  is  pleasant  to  turn 
to  the  Jewish  colonies  outside  the  walls,  and  which  nearly  sur- 
round the  city.  The  houses  in  these  are  usually  small,  but 
comfortable  and  sufficiently  exposed  for  the  circulation  of 
fresh  air.  At  the  same  time  one  cannot  avoid  the  conclusion, 
after  visiting  some  of  these  colonies  and  seeing  what  they  are 
and  what  they  might  be,  that  their  inhabitants  prefer  to  have 
their  surroundings  filthy  and  to  see  to  what  extent  they  can 
violate  all  sanitary  laws  and  still  live. 

In  treating  of  the  home  life  of  Jerusalem  Jews  only  the  most 
general  statements  can  be  made.  There  are  Jewish  homes 
here  just  as  commodious  and  as  tastefully  furnished  and  as 
carefully  kept  as  any  homes  in  the  city.  Israel  has  always 
been  noted  for  the  purity  of  its  home  life.  In  the  true  Jewish 
home  there  abides  a  spirit  of  devotion  to  religion,  often  bur- 
densome to  be  sure,  because  bound  in  the  fetters  of  rabbi nism. 
The  law  provided  for  the  regulation  of  home  life,  but  at  the 
same  time  permitted  a  certain  freedom  of  action.  Rabbinism, 
which  descends  to  minutest  particulars,  leaves  no  room  for 
choice.  Its  followers  are  slaves  to  the  letter,  and  thus  make  a 
perpetual  task  of  what  was  intended  to  be  a  continual  joy. 
This  "joy  in  the  Lord"  is  what  one  misses  in  these  homes. 
One  noticeable  positive  virtue  is  the  respect  and  reverence 
which  the  children  have  for  their  parents.  This  is  universal. 
It  is  inculcated  in  infancy  and  continues  through  life.  Hos- 
pitality is  also  practiced  to  the  extent  of  the  means  of  the  head 
of  the  family.  In  morals  the  Jews  everywhere  will  be  found 
to  compare  favorable  with  any  class  of  people.  These  domes- 
tic and  moral  virtues,  which  are  Israel's  strength,  cannot  be 
separated  from  his  religion,  for  they  are  part  of  it.     An  un- 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  303 

dutiful  child  is  impious ;  an  immoral  person  is  irreligious ;  the 
Law  severely  condemns  both. 

In  the  home  the  wife  is  the  equal  of  her  husband.  She  is 
not  so  regarded,  however,  in  the  synagogue,  nor  has  she  any 
voice  in  public  affairs.  She  does  not  count  as  a  member  of 
the  congregation,  and  her  place  when  she  attends  public  wor- 
ship is  in  a  retired  part  of  the  synagogue,  usually  a  small,  re- 
mote gallery,  where  she  can  see  and  hear,  but  not  be  seen. 
In  any  question  that  concerns  the  community  her  husband  is 
the  one  to  act.  She  may  advise  him,  but  he  alone  is  respon- 
sible for  results.  I  have  never  heard  of  a  case  in  Jerusalem  of 
a  wife  being  dissatisfied  with  this  arrangement. 

In  one  particular  concerning  the  family  the  native  Jerusalem 
Jew  resembles  his  Arab  half-brother.  He  wishes  his  children 
all  to  be  boys,  and  when  a  girl  baby  is  born  the  rejoicing  over 
the  event  is  not  nearly  so  marked  as  it  would  have  been  had 
the  little  one  been  a  boy.  The  congratulations  of  friends  are 
regulated  by  the  sex  of  the  infant.  This  is  a  peculiarity  which 
is  accounted  for  because  of  the  religious  superiority  of  males. 
In  one  other  respect,  namely  that  of  education,  the  boys  have 
the  advantage  over  their  sisters  here.  Boys'  schools  are  abun- 
dant. In  them  the  pupils  are  taught  the  rudiments  of  a  general 
education  and  prepared  for  a  career  of  usefulness.  There  are 
also  industrial  schools  where  trades  are  learned,  and  Talmud- 
Torah  schools  where  special  religious  instruction  is  given.  In 
the  latter  years  are  passed,  lives  oftentimes,  in  traversing  "the 
sea  of  the  Talmud."  There  is  just  one  school  for  girls.  It  is 
supported  by  the  Paris  branch  of  the  Rothschild  family,  and 
is  called  the  Evelyn  Rothschild  School  for  Girls.  This  insti- 
tution is  ably  conducted  and  has  an  attendance  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  It  is  an  innovation  not  fully  approved  of  by 
the  rabbis.  Perhaps  it  would  be  unjust  to  say  that  these  mas- 
ters do  not  wish  their  women  to  know  anything ;  the  fact  re- 
mains that  they  do  not  establish  ariy  other  schools  of  this  kind. 

This  failure  to  provide  for  the  education  of  his  daughters  is 


304  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

one  evidence  of  the  unwisdom  of  the  Jerusalem  Jew ;  another 
evidence  is  seen  in  the  marriage  customs  that  largely  prevail. 
Rabbinical  laws  regulate  these  also.  To  an  uninitiated  ob- 
server the  majority  of  marriages  here  seem  to  be  mere  alliances 
for  convenience.  They  are  arranged  by  parents  or  friends 
and  the  young  couple  simply  carry  out  the  arrangements. 
Financial  considerations  have  great  weight,  and  the  bride  us- 
ually furnishes  the  weightier  ones.  But  such  marriages  are 
not  confined  to  Jerusalem,  nor  to  Paris ;  not  to  the  Jews,  nor 
to  the  French.  Divorce  among  the  Jews  here  is  a  very  common 
occurrence  and  more  easily  obtained  than  in  Oklahoma.  Un- 
der certain  conditions  polygamy  is  admissible,  though  it  is 
practiced  only  by  the  Sephardim,  and  very  rarely.  The 
Chacham  Bashi  has  two  wives,  as  has  also  the  chief  rabbi  of 
the  Mughrabee  Jews.  They  seem  not  to  be  thought  any  less 
of  for  this  indulgence. 

In  the  observance  of  their  great  annual  religious  feasts  the 
spirit  of  Judaism  is  manifest.  To  properly  celebrate  some  of 
these  requires  the  temple  and  an  officiating  priesthood.  In 
the  absence  of  these  the  impressiveness  of  the  service  is  lost 
and  the  effort  to  supply  something  that  will  make  up  for  the 
loss  is  pitiable  and  in  some  instances  almost  ridiculous.  The 
Day  of  Atonement  is  still  observed  in  a  way.  None  knows 
better  than  the  Jews  themselves  how  far  it  fails  to  be  the  sol- 
emn impressive  day  that  it  once  was  in  Jerusalem.  But  the 
modern  service  could  and  should  be  improved  upon.  It  could 
point  in  a  clearer  and  more  serious  way  to  the  necessity  of 
true  repentance.  The  spiritual  degeneracy  of  Judaism  is  seen 
in  this,  that  its  most  sacredly  solemn  Day  has  become  a  sub- 
ject for  ridicule.  Twisting  the  neck  of  a  young  fowl  is  re- 
garded as  a  sufficient  substitute  for  the  requirements  of  the 
sixteenth  chapter  of  Leviticus.  In  preparation  for  the  Day  of 
Atonement  some  of  the  Chassidim,  those  who  would  be  consid- 
ered of  special  holiness,  gather  in  the  synagogue  and  submit 
themselves  to  the  "  whip  of  scourging,"     As  they  lie  on  the 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  305 

floor  in  the  attitude  of  humiliation  each  receives  the  "forty 
stripes  save  one." 

The  Feast  of  Purim  is  still  kept  vigorously.  The  deliver- 
ance of  the  exiled  portion  of  their  race  from  the  massacre 
arranged  by  the  devices  of  Haman  was  a  divine  intervention 
not  to  be  forgotten.  The  name  "Purim"  is  used  in  irony, 
perhaps,  because  Haman  was  given  to  casting  "lots,"  and 
did  so  on  this  occasion  in  order  to  learn  which  would  be  the 
most  auspicious  day  for  the  inauguration  of  the  proposed 
slaughter.  Formerly  there  were  certain  days  on  which  it  was 
considered  improper  for  this  festival  to  be  begun.  But  now  the 
custom  seems  to  be  to  commence  the  celebration  as  soon  as  the 
stars  appear  on  the  fourteenth  of  the  month  Adar.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  day  is  considered  by  the  Jews  as  begin- 
ning at  sundown.  For  this  feast  candles  are  lit,  as  an  evi- 
dence of  a  lack  of  fear,  and  as  a  sign  of  rejoicing,  and  the 
people  assemble  in  their  various  synagogues  for  a  short  reli- 
gious service,  during  which  the  Book  of  Esther  is  read.  At 
each  mention  of  Haman's  name  by  the  reader,  the  congrega- 
tion stamp  their  feet  and  cry  "  May  his  name  be  blotted  out." 
The  children  present  are  taught  to  show  their  hatred  for  this 
ancient  enemy.  They  are  provided  with  stones  on  which 
Haman's  name  is  written.  These  they  rub  together  until  the 
name  is  obliterated. 

Next  morning  a  service  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  pre- 
ceding evening  is  held,  at  which,  after  the  prayers  for  the  day, 
the  passage  in  Exodus  xvii.,  from  verse  eighth  to  sixteenth,  is 
read.  This  relates  to  the  destruction  of  the  Amalekites,  from 
whom  they  believe  Haman  was  descended.  The  Book  of 
Esther  is  again  read  and  the  synagogue  service  is  over.  Then 
comes  the  real  rejoicing.  Presents  are  exchanged  ;  the  chil- 
dren are  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  sweetmeats,  and  as 
generous  a  feast  as  can  be  afforded  is  indulged  in.  Wine  is 
freely  partaken  of,  as  the  Talmud  enjoins,  and  he  who  is  not 
intoxicated  by  the  time  the  festivities  are  over  is  considered  as 


306  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

not  having  kept  the  feast  properly.  In  this  connection  we 
may  observe  that  it  is  not  possible  for  a  religious  Jew  to  be  a 
total  abstainer.  Talmudic  injunctions  require  the  partaking 
of  wine  on  the  Sabbath,  at  the  Passover  Feast  and  at  Purim. 

The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  is  kept  with  something  of  its  orig- 
inal simplicity  and  rejoicing.  It  comes  at  the  time  of  year 
when  grateful  thoughts  are  natural  to  the  recipient  of  divine 
favors.  It  was  originally  a  national  thanksgiving,  and  is  yet 
in  a  sense,  though  the  conditions  for  its  proper  celebration  are 
not  possible  to  dispersed  Israel.  Two  of  the  former  require- 
ments, namely,  "joyous  festivities  and  dwelling  in  booths"  are 
practiced.  The  third,  that  of  sacrifice,  has  been  discontinued 
since  the  fall  of  the  temple.  This  feast  lasted  seven  days — 
from  the  fifteenth  to  the  twenty-first  of  the  month  Tishri — and 
was  followed  by  a  day  of  "holy  convocation."  During  these 
days  all  the  Jews  appear  in  holiday  attire.  Booths  are  built  in 
the  yards  or  on  the  flat  roofs  or  balconies  of  every  house.  In 
these  booths  the  male  members  of  the  family  reside  during  the 
week.  Here  the  family  partakes  of  its  meals  and  receives 
friends.  At  night  all  except  the  most  rigid  religionists  occupy 
their  accustomed  beds  under  substantial  roofs.  As  the  booths 
as  now  constructed  afford  little  protection  from  the  weather 
this  move  indoors  at  night  is  certainly  the  part  of  wisdom. 
The  symbolic  meaning  of  this  feast  is  lost  sight  of  by  the 
Jews.  As  the  feast  of  ingathering  of  the  full  harvest  it  pointed 
forward  to  the  final  ingathering,  "  the  glory  of  the  latter  day," 
when  all  nations  shall  appear  before  the  Lord. 

To  these  practices,  which  have  a  Biblical  foundation,  others 
with  no  such  basis  have  been  added  and  are  observed  as  care- 
fully as  if  there  were  a  "thus  saith  the  Lord"  to  support 
them ;  but  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  these  would  carry  us 
beyond  the  limits  of  a  work  of  this  kind. 

Among  the  strictly  Oriental  Jews  there  are  many  practices 
that  seem  to  be  mere  superstitions.  In  common  with  their 
Moslem  neighbors  the  fear  of  the  "  evil  eye"  is  quite  preva- 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  307 

lent.  Charms  are  worn  to  counteract  this  baleful  influence 
and  numerous  invocations  are  used  to  protect  against  it.  Over 
the  doors  of  many  of  the  houses  will  be  seen  the  whitewashed 
or  painted  representation  of  a  hand.  The  resemblance  to  a 
hand  is  generally  a  very  distant  one,  there  being  simply  five 
straight  lines  diverging  from  a  point.  These  lines  are  meant 
to  represent  "the  Hand  of  Might."  This  symbol  has  a  sig- 
nificance similar  to  a  horseshoe  nailed  above  the  door ;  namely, 
to  bring  good  luck  to  the  household  and  to  protect  it  from 
the  evil  spirits.  Amulets  are  resorted  to  in  cases  of  severe  ill- 
ness and  are  frequently  applied  when  a  physician's  treatment 
does  not  appear  to  be  successful. 

Among  the  orthodox  here,  as  everywhere,  belief  in  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah  still  obtains ;  Him  whom  the  Christian 
world  recognizes  as  its  Messiah  the  Jerusalem  Jew  utterly  dis- 
regards. Many  will  not  endure  the  mention  of  His  name 
without  expressions  of  contempt,  and  to  speak  of  Him  in  their 
presence  as  the  Anointed  One  of  Israel  will  evoke  from  them 
what  sounds  to  Christian  ears  as  the  harshest  blasphemy.  This 
estimate  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  taught  to  the  children  as  soon 
as  they  are  old  enough  to  comprehend  it.  It  is  impressed  upon 
them  throughout  their  life  until  maturity.  What  wonder,  when 
to  this  teaching  is  added  the  accounts  of  how  Israel  has  been 
maltreated  among  the  nations,  that  Christianity  has  made 
hardly  any  impression  upon  this  citadel  of  Judaism  ! 

Systematic  Christian  mission  work  is  done  among  these  peo- 
ple, but  the  results  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  time  of  the 
"  ingathering  "  is  not  yet.  There  are  some  sheaves,  however, 
for  one  may  see  on  any  Sunday  during  the  year  at  the  services 
of  Christ's  Church  a  fair-sized  congregation  of  Hebrew  Chris- 
tians. Nor  is  anything  to  be  said  against  missionary  methods 
as  applied  by  the  London  Jews  Society,  the  Missionary  Alli- 
ance and  other  independent  workers  who  are  employing  them- 
selves in  presenting  Christ  to  the  Jews.  It  is  simply  a  conclu- 
sion reached  after  some  years  of  study  and  observation  on  the 


308  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ground,  that  the  great  body  of  Israel  remains  untouched  by 
the  Gospel.  Years  of  faithful  preaching,  teaching  and  medi- 
cal mission  work  have  failed  to  break  down  the  wall  of  di- 
vision. 

That  some  work  is  effective  may  be  judged  by  the  recent 
violent  opposition  of  the  rabbis  to  the  hospital  of  the  London 
Jews  Society.  A  fine  new  hospital  building  has  just  been 
completed  in  one  of  the  most  attractive  parts  of  the  city,  and 
at  an  expense  of  seventy  thousand  dollars.  Here  Jewish  pa- 
tients were  received  and  treated  free  of  charge.  No  sooner 
were  the  hospital  quarters  removed  from  the  old  building  to 
the  new  than  war  was  declared  by  the  rabbis.  A  "  charem  " 
was  issued  against  the  new  hospital  and  all  Jews  were  warned 
against  applying  there  for  treatment  and  threatened  with  ex- 
communication if  they  disobeyed  the  warning.  One  Jewess 
dared  the  wrath  of  the  rabbis  and  entered  the  hospital  for 
treatment.  She  died,  and  burial  was  refused  her  by  the  Jew- 
ish authorities  in  their  cemetery.  Influence  was  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  chief  rabbi  to  permit  the  interment,  but  he 
positively  refused.  Having  disobeyed  the  "charem"  she  was 
no  longer  considered  as  a  Jewess.  The  hospital  authorities 
brought  the  matter  before  the  English  consul,  who  communi- 
cated with  the  Pasha.  The  excitement  lasted  for  three  days 
and  in  spite  of  all  protests  the  chief  rabbi  won.  The  woman 
was  buried  in  a  secluded  corner  of  ground  not  in  the  Jewish 
cemetery,  and  had  no  service  of  any  kind  at  her  grave.  This 
incident  has  had  the  effect  of  so  frightening  the  Jews  that  they 
will  not  go  near  the  new  hospital.  This  opposition  will  prob- 
ably be  very  short-lived. 

Nor  is  this  opposition  to  Christian  missions  confined  to 
Jerusalem.  It  seems  to  be  a  concerted  plan  of  the  rabbis 
everywhere,  apparently  due  to  fears  that  all  the  efforts  being 
made  to  convert  the  Jew  are  not  fruitless.  In  Jewish  period- 
icals recently  there  has  been  much  said  against  all  "  conver- 
sionists,"   and   much  contempt  heaped   upon    the   proselyte. 


The  Jews  in  Jerusalem  309 

One  cannot  much  blame  the  spiritual  leaders  of  Israel  for  seek- 
ing to  hold  their  people  within  the  ancient  pale  of  their  re- 
ligion ;  some  criticism  is  possible  of  the  methods  used. 

Besides  the  spiritual  terrors  which  the  Jerusalem  rabbis  have 
at  their  disposal,  there  is  also  a  weighty  temporal  force  which 
they  can  make  effective.  In  all  parts  of  the  world  where  Jews 
are  found  there  are  collections  made  for  their  brethren  in  the 
Holy  City.  The  house  of  every  pious  Jew  of  the  Dispersion 
has  a  little  box  in  which  the  members  of  the  family  deposit 
now  and  then  a  small  coin  which  is  meant  for  Jerusalem. 
Collectors  are  appointed,  each  one  having  a  certain  district, 
who  visit  the  houses  and  empty  these  charity  boxes.  How 
much  money  from  these  finds  its  way  each  year  to  the  old  city 
none  but  the  rabbis  who  handle  it  can  tell.  But  that  it  is  a 
considerable  sum  may  be  estimated  from  the  number  of  people 
who  are  supported  out  of  it.  It  is  known  as  the  Haluka,  or 
charity  fund,  and,  with  but  few  exceptions,  every  family  in  the 
city  draws  upon  it.  Any  one  asking  can  receive ;  consequently 
many  having  no  need  of  charity  are  sharing  that  which  was 
intended  for  the  poor.  The  really  poor  whose  daily  bread  de- 
pends upon  this  charity  fund  must  obey  the  commands  of  the 
dispensing  rabbi  or  suffer. 

A  large  Haluka  is  raised  in  America.  I  am  informed  that 
about  forty-five  thousand  dollars  is  the  annual  amount  collected 
there  for  the  Jerusalem  poor.  I  am  assured  here  that  only  six 
thousand  dollars  ever  reaches  Jerusalem.  Where  the  rest  goes 
is  a  matter  of  speculation  which  does  not  require  much  astute- 
ness. In  the  spring  of  1896  some  intelligent  American  Jews 
residing  in  Jerusalem  concluded  to  remedy  this  palpable 
wrong,  which  really  amounted  to  fraud,  and  decided  to  organ- 
ize an  American  congregation.  They  laid  their  case  before 
their  co-religionists  in  the  United  States,  informed  them  how 
their  charity  was  being  dispensed,  and  proposed  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  strictly  American  society  which  would  see  to  the  col- 
lecting and  forwarding  of  the  fund  in  an  honorable  business 


310  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

way,  and  promised  to  see  that  it  was  dispensed  in  the  same 
way  to  only  the  deserving  poor  here.  A  storm  of  opposition 
was  raised  by  the  collectors  and  forwarders  in  America  and  by 
the  distributers  in  Jerusalem,  and  rabbis  in  Russia  and  Austria 
protested  strongly  at  the  proposed  innovation.  But  the  inno- 
vators had  right  on  their  side  and  there  is  now  in  the  Holy 
City  an  American  Hebrew  congregation,  managed  by  honor- 
able American  Jews,  and  contributors  to  the  Haluka  may  be 
assured  that  their  charity  is  not  lost. 

Like  their  brothers  in  other  parts  of  the  world  the  Jews  of 
Jerusalem,  and  of  the  rest  of  Palestine,  are  being  moved  by 
the  spirit  of  Nationalism.  In  numbers  the  Hebrew  nation  is 
respectable ;  in  wealth  and  abilities  it  is  wonderful.  A  sense 
of  what  it  is,  is  compelling  it  to  think  of  what  it  might  be  and 
to  discuss  methods  of  fulfilling  its  destiny.  In  these  discus- 
sions Palestine  is  coming  into  prominence  and  the  formerly 
indifferent  are  made  "  Lovers  of  Zion."  Israel  needs  a  home, 
a  land  he  can  call  his  own,  a  city  where  he  can  work  out  his 
salvation.  He  has  none  of  these  now.  His  present  home  is 
among  strangers,  people  with  whom  he  has  little  sympathy 
and  who  have  little  for  him.  The  lands  in  which  he  lives  are 
not  his  own,  though  he  has  frequently  shed  his  blood  for  their 
preservation.  The  cities  he  has  helped  to  build  are  not  his; 
they  never  can  be.  Israel's  hope  of  a  home  land  is  possible  of 
realization,  but  it  will  be  realized  only  in  Palestine. 

I  would  not  enter  upon  the  discussion  as  to  how  the  dis- 
persed nation  is  to  be  gathered,  or  when.  There  are  obstacles 
in  the  way,  which  will  not  be  removed  to-day  or  to-morrow ; 
that  they  can  be  removed  is  enough.  There  is  coming  a  time 
when  Israel  shall  "  no  more  be  termed  forsaken "  nor  his 
"land  any  more  be  termed  desolate."  Then  Jerusalem  shall 
be  called  "  Sought  out.  A  city  not  forsaken."  1 
i  Isaiah  lxii. 


THE  CHRISTIANS  IN  JERUSALEM 


Beginnings  of  Christianity — Christian  Affection — Evidences 
of  that  Affection  and  Reasons  for  It — Historical  Experiences 
— Variety  of  Religions — Greek  Church — Church  Statistics — 
Religious  Paupers — Ecclesiastics — Criticism  of  Missions — Mis- 
sion Difficulties — Houses  of  Industry — "Peculiar"  Christians 
— People  with  "  Missions  " — The  Second  Advent — Incidents  of 
Peculiarities — Work  of  the  Oriental  Churches — Russian  Influ- 
ence— Greek  Church  Possessions — Latin  Possessions — Schools 
—  The  Latin  Patriarch  —  Armenians  —  Syrians  —  Anglican 
Church — London  Jews  Society — Germans — Children's  Hos- 
pital— German  Colony — American  Missionaries. 


312 


XVII 

THE  CHRISTIANS    IN  JERUSALEM 

THE  beginnings  of  Christianity  were  in  this  sacred  city  of 
Judaism,  and  since  the  dark  Friday,  when  by  His  death 
on  the  cross  the  Son  of  God  sealed  His  earthly  ministry,  there 
have  always  been  some  of  His  followers  residing  here.  While 
not  regarding  it  with  the  same  feelings  of  devout  veneration 
as  do  the  Jews,  Christians  generally  have  a  peculiar  affection 
for  Jerusalem,  founded  upon  the  hallowed  events  with  which 
the  old  city  is  associated.  The  words  and  acts  of  Christ,  the 
establishment  of  the  Church,  the  bitter  trials  and  cruel  perse- 
cutions which  the  Apostles  endured  for  their  faith,  the  organ- 
ization of  the  first  missionary  band  and  its  starting  out  into  the 
wide  world  with  its  Gospel  of  love  and  salvation,  these  are 
reasons  sufficient  for  that  sentiment.  Some  of  us  at  this  "  end 
of  the  age,"  fettered  by  the  iron  chains  of  hard  utilitarianism, 
may  refuse  to  acknowledge  the  presence  of  this  feeling  in  our 
hearts ;  and  thereby  we  lose  not  a  little  that  is  commendable, 
and  much  that  would  be  beneficial.  The  event  is  always 
greater  than  the  place  in  which  it  occurred  :  Christianity  is 
greater  than  Jerusalem.  Still,  our  high  regard  for  the  former 
should  not  cause  entire  forgetfulness  of  the  latter. 

That  Jerusalem  is  not  forgotten,  and  has  not  been  through 
the  centuries  by  Christians,  can  be  known  by  a  perusal  of  the 
history  of  pilgrimages.  There  have  been  those  "afar  off" 
whose  eyes  turned  longingly  to  the  poor  city  in  which  their 
Lord  died.  There  are  those  to-day — the  number  is  increas- 
ing— who  from  Christian  lands  far  distant  come  to  see  this 
city  which,  though  still  insignificant  as  compared  with  the 

313 


314  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

great  cities  of  the  earth,  is  the  world's  religious  capital.  It 
would  be  otherwise  a  miserable  village,  peopled  by  a  few 
wretched  Jews  and  miserable  Moslems. 

The  history  of  Christianity  in  the  Holy  City  has  been 
marked  by  many  scenes  of  blood.  Some  of  these  have  been 
enacted  in  the  name  and  for  the  supposed  glory  of  the  Prince 
of  Peace,  some  because  of  enmity  to  that  Prince  and  His  fol- 
lowers. Perhaps  no  city  of  its  size  has  witnessed  so  much  of 
the  horror  of  religious  persecution  as  this  chief  city  of  Pales- 
tine. Perhaps  none  to-day  exhibits  to  the  world  such  a  diver- 
sity of  religions  and  so  many  varieties  of  the  Christian  religion 
in  particular.  Certainly  there  is  none  where,  because  of  ec- 
clesiastical intolerance,  the  unlovely  spirit  of  hatred  for  each 
other  dominates  to  such  a  degree  the  various  confessions. 
This  unloveliness  in  the  name  of  love  is  the  cause  of  much 
grief  to  the  earnest  Christian  and  much  of  the  suspicion  with 
which  Jew  and  Moslem  regard  the  religion  of  the  Crucified. 

Since  the  return  of  the  Christians  from  Pella,  there  has 
been  no  time  when  there  has  not  been  a  resident  Christian 
community.  During  most  of  the  time  previous  to  the  Mo- 
hammedan occupation  the  Christians  had  been  in  the  majority 
and  held  the  official  positions.  Since  that  time  (637),  with 
the  exception  of  the  one  century — the  twelfth — when  the  Cru- 
saders held  the  city  against  the  Saracens,  they  have  had  no 
nominal  and  very  little  real  power.  At  present  the  Christians 
outnumber  the  Moslems  and  both  together  are  outnumbered, 
three  to  one,  by  the  Jews.  And  nearly  every  ordinary  Chris- 
tian sect  is  here,  along  with  a  good  many  which  would  not  be 
possible  in  any  other  place. 

Of  the  entire  Christian  population  nearly  a  half  are  adher- 
ents of  the  Greek  Orthodox 'Church — the  wealthiest  and  most 
influential  of  all.  Next  in  order  are  the  Roman  Catholics  who 
number  three  thousand  two  hundred,  and  who  as  a  Church  are 
by  no  means  poor  in  this  world's  goods.  The  following  list 
will  give  a  concise  idea  of  the  various  Christian  bodies. 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  315 

Greek  Orthodox        4,000 

Roman  Catholic        3,200 

Armenian        600 

Protestants  (all  forms)        500 

Coptic        120 

Greek  Catholic     ........  100 

Abyssinian 60 

Syrian        50 

Total 8,630 

Of  this  number  a  great  many  are  practically  supported 
by  the  various  religious  societies  operating  in  the  city.  If 
every  private  house  occupied  by  a  Christian  were  destroyed 
there  is  room  enough  in  the  convents,  hospices  and  nunneries 
to  give  every  family  comfortable  quarters.  The  Greeks  and 
Latins  have  large  revenues  from  the  faithful  in  other  parts  of 
the  world  who  do  not  forget  the  "  poor  saints  which  are  at 
Jerusalem."  They  use  a  great  deal  of  this  income  to  supply 
bread  to  their  native  adherents.  In  this  way  they  manage  to 
retain  many  who  would  otherwise  be  indifferent  to  religion. 
Twice  a  week  each  of  the  two  great  Churches  distributes  food 
to  the  needy,  and  it  is  notorious  that  some  of  the  recipients 
are  Greeks  on  the  day  the  Greeks  distribute  and  Latins  on  the 
day  the  Latins  dispense  bounty.  While  it  is  a  worthy  work  to 
supply  the  wants  of  the  needy  it  is  a  work  that  is  carried  on 
to  such  an  extent  in  Jerusalem  as  to  make  paupers  out  of  many 
who  are  capable  of  self-support.  But  it  is  very  easy  to  obtain 
funds  for  charity  in  Jerusalem.  The  very  name  of  the  place 
appeals  to  all  the  Jewish  and  Christian  world  and  the  amounts 
of  money  that  come  in  for  the  regularly  organized  missionary 
and  charitable  societies,  as  well  as  for  private  independent 
workers,  are  truly  surprising.  For  the  amount  of  work  done, 
as  well  as  results  accomplished,  there  is  more  money  spent  in 
the  Holy  City  than  in  any  other  city  on  earth.  And  a  great 
part  of  that  money  comes  from  America.     It  would  be  useless 


316  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

to  decry  this  expenditure  or  to  attempt  to  turn  some  of  this 
revenue  into  more  useful  channels.  The  charitably  inclined 
wish  to  send  it  here  and  the  stewards  of  the  distribution  are 
glad  to  receive  it ;  and  it  will  continue  to  come. 

The  city  ought  to  be  "holy  "  if  the  presence  of  rabbis, 
priests,  lay  missionaries,  religious  sheikhs  and  dervishes  be 
conducive  to  holiness.  At  any  time  of  the  day  and  in  any 
part  of  the  city  you  can  see  one  or  other  of  these  "  holy  men." 
The  Christian  priests  seem  to  be  the  most  numerous  and  it  is 
not  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  there  is  a  priest  for  every 
fifteen  of  the  Christian  community.  Some  of  these  priests  are 
engaged  in  mission  work,  some  in  teaching  in  the  various 
schools;  but  the  majority  do  nothing  distinctively  religious. 
They  enjoy  the  comforts  of  life  and  walk  about  in  their  long 
robes,  visiting  the  holy  places  and  appearing  holy  themselves. 
Jewish  rabbis  and  Moslem  sheikhs  lead  similar  lives,  each 
guarding  their  own  peculiar  beliefs  and  places  and  enabled  to 
keep  up  the  best  of  appearances  by  means  of  the  generosity  of 
the  faithful  in  other  lands. 

It  would  be  doing  a  great  injustice  to  many  faithful  men 
and  women  to  criticise  without  reservation  all  the  mission 
work  that  is  being  done.  I  shall  have  to  leave  that  for  those 
professional  critics  of  Christian  missions  who  are  all  too  ready 
to  publish  their  ignorance  and  are  all  too  readily  believed.  If 
those  who  criticise  these  workers  and  their  methods  in  other 
parts  of  the  world  have  as  little  experimental  knowledge  of 
them  as  has  the  average  critic  of  the  Jerusalem  missions  what 
they  say  is  not  worth  listening  to,  for  it  is  false. 

This  must  be  said  of  the  majority  of  Protestant  Christian 
workers,  that  they  are  faithfully  living  and  preaching  the  Gospel 
of  the  Master  as  they  believe  it.  They  are  teaching  these  peo- 
ple how  to  live  for  this  world  as  well  as  for  that  which  is  to 
come.  And  if  there  is  one  thing  the  native  of  Palestine  needs  to 
learn  it  is  how  to  live  so  that  life  will  be  something  more  than 
animal  existence. 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  317 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  also  that  those  who  are  here 
doing  the  Master's  work  as  they  see  it  have  one  of  the  hardest 
fields  in  the  world  to  work.  Christianity  is  no  new  thing  to 
these  people,  but  the  Christianity  of  Christ  is.  The  Oriental 
Churches  have  been  on  the  ground  for  centuries.  They  have 
repelled  rather  than  attracted  the  non-Christian  element. 
They  sadly  need  a  reformation.  During  all  these  centuries 
they  have  had  no  converts  from  Islam  or  Judaism.  Their  pol- 
icy toward  the  Jew  is  one  of  hatred ;  toward  the  Moslem  one 
of  indifference.  To  people  whose  only  idea  of  Christianity  is 
obtained  from  such  representatives  the  western  missionaries 
come.  What  wonder  that  they  are  not  received  and  have  first 
to  break  down  a  strong  hedge  of  prejudice  before  Jew  or 
Moslem  will  tolerate  them  even  to  the  extent  of  listening  to 
them  !  It  is  true  that  the  apparent  results  are  small,  but  they 
are  substantial. 

The  "Houses  of  Industry,"  where  young  men  are  taught 
some  useful  trade,  are  in  themselves  a  blessing.  These  young 
Arabs  go  out  to  the  different  villages  scattered  over  the  land 
able  to  do  something  more  than  pass  their  time  in  idleness. 
They  also  have  some  idea  of  what  the  true  religion  of  Jesus 
is,  even  if  they  do  not  brave  the  ridicule  and  possible  dangers 
that  a  public  profession  of  it  would  bring  upon  them.  There 
are  girls  in  the  mission  schools  who  are  taught  ideas  of  clean- 
liness and  get  valuable  lessons  in  home-making.  This  is  work 
that  will  tell  in  the  coming  generation.  If  nothing  more  were 
being  done  than  such  work  as  this  it  ought  to  silence  adverse 
criticism.  And  it  would  if  the  adverse  critics  knew  it  was 
going  on.  But  they  come  to  the  city  for  a  few  days,  spend 
those  days  in  seeing  the  sights,  among  which  mission  work  is 
not  one,  and  then  go  away  to  answer  any  who  may  question 
them  about  it  that  there  is  very  little  if  any  such  work  being 
done.  All  that  such  people  need  is  an  object  lesson  showing 
what  these  boys  and  girls  were  when  they  entered  the  schools, 


318  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

or  Houses  of  Industry,  and  what  they  are  when  they  leave  to 
take  their  places  in  the  world. 

There  is  another  class  of  individuals  making  a  part  of  the 
population  who  are  counted  among  the  Christians  and  that  a 
mistake  is  made  in  so  counting  them  is  not  for  me  to  say. 
The  name  most  suited  to  them  is  the  modern  word  "  crank." 
If  any  one  in  Europe  or  America  has  any  particular  religious 
vagary,  which  in  his  or  her  diseased  imagination  is  God-in- 
spired and  which  the  whole  world  must  accept  or  be  forever 
lost,  he  comes  to  Jerusalem  if  he  is  able.  It  would  take  a 
good  sized  volume  to  describe  these  people  and  their  views. 
It  would  make  strange,  but  unprofitable  reading.  America 
leads  in  the  number  furnished  to  this  class. 

They  all  differ  in  most  respects  but  in  one  particular  all  are 
agreed ;  all  the  world  is  hopelessly  in  error  as  to  religion ; 
the  Christian  Church  is  either  intentionally  or  ignorantly  cor- 
rupt and  there  is  no  salvation  for  it.  By  a  dream,  or  a  vision, 
or  some  special  inspiration  God  has  showed  them  the  only 
true  way  and  appointed  them  to  herald  the  truth  to  the  world. 
The  Apostles  began  at  Jerusalem,  so  must  these  apostles  of  a 
new  dispensation.  They  arrive  in  the  city  full  of  enthusiasm 
over  what  they  have  been  "called"  to  do.  One  man,  the 
disciple  of  a  new  kind  of  Mormonism,  arrived  in  the  city, 
immediately  called  at  the  consulate  and  requested  to  be  shown 
the  offices  of  the  leading  newspapers,  as  he  wished  to  announce 
his  arrival  and  give  a  prospectus  of  his  work.  As  there  is  not 
a  single  newspaper  published  in  the  place  this  request  was 
easily  answered.  But  he  managed  to  make  his  announcement. 
Five  years  have  witnessed  no  results.  He  has  given  up  trying, 
but  still  retains  belief  in  his  divine  appointment. 

During  the  winter  of  1894-95  a  very  intelligent  gentleman 
arrived.  He  looked  and  acted  like  an  ordinary  tourist,  but 
one  had  to  converse  with  him  but  a  short  time  to  learn  that  he 
too  had  a  "mission."  "I  have  come  with  a  message  to  the 
Jews,"   he  informed  me,  "and   I  want  to  know  if  you  think 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  319 

there  would  be  anything  in  the  way  of  my  procuring  a  large 
tent,  setting  it  up  in  a  vacant  lot  and  delivering  ray  message  to 
the  people  to  whom  I  am  sent." 

"No,"  I  replied,  "there  will  be  nothing  in  the  way  except 
getting  the  Jews  to  come  to  the  tent." 

"Oh,  that  will  be  all  right.  The  Lord  will  take  care  of 
that." 

"Can  you  speak  Hebrew,  or  Spanish  or  the  Jewish  Jargon  ?  " 
"No.  I  cannot."  "Then  how  will  you  convey  the  mes- 
sage?    Very  few  of  these  people  understand  English." 

"  Oh,  the  Lord  will  take  care  of  that.  He  sent  me  here  to 
remain  for  thirty  days  and  in  this  time  I  must  get  my  message 
to  all  the  Jews." 

In  about  two  weeks  I  saw  him  again.  He  had  reconsidered 
the  matter  of  the  tent  and  had  decided  to  issue  two  addresses 
in  Hebrew,  one  to  the  rabbis  and  another  to  the  common 
people.  This  he  did  and  scattered  them  broadcast.  At  the 
end  of  thirty  days,  true  to  his  mission,  he  returned  to  his  home 
in  the  United  States. 

The  belief  that  the  Second  Coming  of  the  Lord  is  near  at 
hand,  and  that  His  first  appearance  will  be  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  has  drawn  many  to  this  place.  They  are  patiently 
waiting  to  see  their  belief  realized.  Some  have  knowledge  of 
the  exact  day  of  His  coming;  others  only  know  it  is  to  be 
soon. 

One  good  old  lady,  now  gone  to  her  rest,  went  day  after 
day  to  the  Mount  and  made  her  afternoon  tea.  Questioned  as 
to  why  she  did  this  she  replied,  "  Christ  is  coming  and  I  want 
to  be  on  Olivet  when  He  comes  and  have  a  cup  of  tea  ready 
for  Him." 

The  story  is  told,  though  the  genuineness  of  it  is  not  vouched 
for  here,  that  an  American  of  this  peculiar  stamp  had  come  to 
the  city  to  announce  what  he  called  the  New  Gospel.  Walk- 
ing down  David  street  he  was  met  by  a  fellow  countryman  and 
a  general  conversation  ensued.     Very  soon  the  man  with  the 


320  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

message  was  asked  how  long  he  intended  to  remain  in  Jerusalem, 
and  replied,  "I  have  come  here  to  stay."  "Indeed;  but 
what  are  you  going  to  do  here.     This  is  no  place  to  live." 

"  It  may  not  be  the  place  for  you,  but  it  is  for  me.  I  have 
come  to  preach  the  New  Gospel." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  and  what,  may  I  ask,  is  the  New  Gospel  ?  " 

"It  is  the  Gospel  that  there  is  to  be  no  more  death. 
Death  has  controlled  long  enough  and  I  am  to  preach  that  its 
power  is  ended  from  this  time  on.     Death  is  played  out." 

This  was  a  revelation  to  the  man  who  did  not  feel  that  he 
had  any  special  mission  in  the  Holy  City  and  he  hardly  knew 
what  reply  to  make  to  it.  Finally  he  said,  "  But,  my  friend, 
are  not  all  the  facts  against  the  truth  of  your  Gospel  ? 
People  are  dying  this  very  moment  in  spite  of  your  Gospel." 

"Yes,  I  know  it;  but  the  Gospel  of  no  death  has  not  yet 
been  announced.  I  was  sent  here  to  announce  it  and  as  soon 
as  this  is  done  no  more  deaths  will  occur." 

"Very  well;  that  is  very  comforting,  but  just  suppose,  after 
you  have  published  your  Gospel,  that  you  yourself  should  die, 
what  would  become  of  this  Gospel  then?  " 

"Oh,  if  such  should  happen,  if  I  should  die  after  proclaim- 
ing this,  the  whole  blame  thing  would  'bust  up.'  "  And  so 
it  would. 

So  would  many  of  the  other  so-called  gospels  that  just  now 
have  one  or  several  advocates  residing  here  and  doing  what 
they  can  to  propagate  them.  There  was  a  company  of  de- 
luded people  who  came  here  fourteen  years  ago  and  announced 
that  none  of  them  were  going  to  die  until  the  Lord  appeared. 
In  as  many  years  thirteen  of  them  have  died. 

All  these  religious  vagaries,  and  there  are  many  others, 
each  with  its  ardent  supporter  who  misses  no  opportunity  to 
voice  his  belief,  has  its  deterring  effect  upon  the  regular  mis- 
sionary efforts.  Moslem  and  Jew  regard  them  all  as  phases  of 
Christianity  and  wonder  at  a  religion  that  produces  them. 
The  city  could  very  well  dispense  with  the  presence  of  all  this 


SYRIAN   BISHOP  OF  JERUSALEM. 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  321 

class  of  its  population.  The  only  redeeming  thing  about  them 
is  that  they  are  not  numerous. 

In  this  connection  it  will  be  proper  to  speak  of  the  dis- 
tinctive mission  work  done  by  the  Christian  Church  in  Jerusa- 
lem. Concerning  the  Oriental  branches  there  is  little  to  be 
said  for  they  are  satisfied  to  retain  their  native  adherents  and 
make  little  effort  to  spread  the  Gospel  among  non-Christians. 
They  seem  to  have  forgotten  their  "marching  orders"  to 
"preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Oriental  Christianity 
is  little  else  than  lifeless  form,  and  to  "preach  the  Gospel" 
seems  to  be  no  part  of  the  labor  of  its  numerous  clergy.  Their 
work  is  to  care  for  the  holy  places,  look  after  their  large  prop- 
erty interests  in  and  near  the  city,  see  that  their  privileges  are 
not  infringed  upon  by  other  sects,  repeat  their  prayers  and 
live  comfortably.  The  Greeks  are  far  more  active  in  getting 
possession  of  land  in  and  near  the  city  than  in  anything  else. 
Any  piece  of  property  that  is  at  all  desirable  that  comes  on  the 
market  is  soon  bought  up  by  those  who  manage  the  temporal 
affairs  of  this  community.  Where  the  money  comes  from  to 
make  these  purchases  is  a  matter  to  speculate  about.  While 
this  patriarchate  has  the  largest  revenue  of  any  in  the  Church 
there  is  a  pretty  general  belief  that  the  property  is  not  all  paid 
for  out  of  this.  Russia's  desire  to  number  the  Holy  Land 
among  her  possessions  is  well  known,  and  her  diplomats  may 
be  using  this  arm  of  her  established  Church  to  accomplish  that 
desire.  In  the  event  of  the  dismemberment  of  the  Turkish 
empire  these  possessions — if  they  be  Russian — would  no  doubt 
have  considerable  weight  in  deciding  to  which  one  of  the  in- 
terested European  powers  this  land  would  fall.  In  the  event 
of  the  land  falling  to  any  other  power,  Russia's  claim  to  her 
purchased  territory  would  in  all  probability  be  recognized,  and 
she  would  at  least  suffer  no  loss. 

The  Greeks  possess  the  following  buildings  devoted  solely  to 
religious,  educational  or  charitable  purposes  : — 

The  Monasteries  of  St.  Helena  and  Constantine,  Abraham 


322  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

and  Gethsemane ;  the  Convents  of  St.  Basil,  St.  Catharine,  two 
of  St.  George,  St.  Michael,  St.  Theodore,  Carolombos,  Deme- 
trius, Euthymius,  Sectuagia,  Nicholas,  John  the  Baptist,  Nativ- 
ity of  Mary,  Spiridon  and  Spirito.  They  have  a  girls'  school,  a 
boys'  school  and  a  hospital.  Besides  these  are  numerous  priv- 
ate residences  and  stores  from  which  a  good  income  is  derived. 

The  Russian  Mission,  whose  aim  it  seems  to  be  to  Russianize 
the  land  rather  than  Christianize  the  people,  has  a  fine  prop- 
erty just  northwest  of  the  city,  with  a  large  cathedral  church, 
several  pilgrim  houses  and  an  extensive  hospital.  The  Russian 
Palestine  Society  is  making  its  presence  felt  and  seems  to  have 
an  abundance  of  means  and  great  influence. 

The  Latin  Church  is  a  missionary  institution  and  its  priests 
do  not  lose  sight  of  that  fact.  Each  one  of  them  is  a  mis- 
sionary and  wherever  he  is  holds  in  mind  his  commission  to 
make  Latin  Christianity  supreme.  There  can  be  no  ques- 
tioning this  fact  by  any  one  who  takes  the  time  to  view  their 
operations  in  Jerusalem  and  Palestine.  In  Jerusalem  itself  are 
the  following  schools  and  orders  for  the  propagation  of  the 
Latin  faith. 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  having  under  their  care  the  parish 
school  for  native  girls  with  an  average  attendance  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pupils.  This  order  also  conducts  an 
orphanage  and  hospital. 

Sisters  of  Zion,  with  an  excellent  school  and  orphanage  for 
girls,  the  school  caring  for  about  one  hundred  resident  pupils. 

Franciscan  Sisters.  These  carry  on  an  orphanage  and 
have  under  their  care  always  about  fifty  little  girls. 

Sisters  of  Charity.  These  do  an  excellent  and  much 
needed  work  in  their  quiet,  but  effective  way  in  supporting  a 
house  for  aged,  infirm  men  and  women  and  a  home  for  found- 
lings. There  are  usually  about  twenty  of  the  latter  unfortunate 
little  ones  whom  they  care  for. 

The  following  are  the  schools  for  boys  carried  on  by  the 
different  orders  of  the  Latin  Church  : 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  323 

The  Franciscans  have  an  institution  for  the  study  of 
theology,  an  orphanage  for  boys,  a  parish  and  an  industrial 
school. 

The  Dominicans  also  have  a  school  for  Bible  study. 

The  White  Brothers  of  St.  Anne  have  a  home,  church  and 
school  for  the  education  of  Greek  Catholics. 

The  Brothers  of  St.  Peter  have  an  orphanage  and  house  of 
industry. 

Herein  these  Latins  show  their  wisdom.  They  are  caring 
for  the  future  by  getting  hold  of  the  children.  This  is  really 
the  only  effective  way ;  and  it  is  very  effective.  The  Church 
that  employs  such  enginery  is  bound  to  progress,  and  the  one 
that  does  not  is  sure  to  be  surpassed.  The  Latins  are  caring 
not  only  for  the  children  of  Latin  parents,  but  are  providing 
education  for  children  of  the  Greek  and  other  Churches.  They 
are  very  willing  to  do  this,  spending  time,  and  money  also, 
for  they  are  bringing  up  as  Latin  Christians  the  children  of 
non-Latin  parentage. 

The  present  Latin  Patriarch,  Monseigneur  Leodovico  Piavi, 
is  a  broad-minded,  intelligent  man,  whose  kindly  face  is  ex- 
pressive of  great  power.  The  position  requires  such  a  man, 
for  it  demands  of  the  incumbent  in  the  patriarchal  chair  the 
exercise  of  executive  powers  and  political  acumen  rather  than 
great  learning.  However,  the  Patriarch's  executive  and 
political  abilities  have  interfered  but  little  with  his  scholarly 
attainments  and  I  have  wondered  how  a  man  whose  time  is  so 
fully  occupied  could  manage  to  be  so  well  informed  as  to 
current  events  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  Latin  Church  is  by  no  means  poor  in  worldly  goods  in 
Jerusalem.  With  the  same  success  that  they  seem  to  have  in 
other  parts  of  the  world  they  have  here  found  the  means  to 
secure  some  of  the  most  desirable  property  and  have  erected 
substantial  buildings.  In  the  school  of  the  Sisters  of  Zion 
they  possess  one  of  the  most  interesting  sites  in  the  city,  even 
if  it  be  not  the  place  of  Pilate's  judgment  hall  where  Christ 


324  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

was  condemned  ;  though  I  see  no  reason  for  doubting  this 
claim.  In  the  Freres'  College  in  the  northwest  angle  of  the 
walls  they  hold  the  most  commanding  position  within  the  city. 
Add  to  these  the  churches,  namely,  that  of  the  Patriarch,  St. 
Salvator,  St.  Anne,  Ecce  Homo,  Notre  Dame  du  Spasme,  the 
Chapel  of  the  Agony,  the  Monasteries  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
the  Scourging,  the  Dominicans,  the  Brethren  of  the  African 
Mission,  the  Convents  of  the  Carmelite  Sisters,  the  Sisters  of 
Zion,  the  Sisters  of  the  Rosary,  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  and 
to  these  the  Hospices  for  the  entertainment  of  Pilgrims,  namely 
the  Casa  Nuova,  the  German  Catholic,  the  Austrian  and  the 
immense  French  Pilgrim  building,  and  it  forms  a  list  of  pos- 
sessions in  the  Holy  City  well  worthy  even  of  that  Church  to 
which  they  belong. 

The  Armenians  have  an  extensive  property  on  Mount  Zion 
near  the  Tower  of  David.  The  patriarch  lives  in  a  large 
monastery  near  the  Zion  Gate,  where,  when  the  occasion 
arises,  a  thousand  pilgrims  may  be  housed. 

The  other  Oriental  Churches  are  rather  poor;  the  Syrians 
have  a  quaint  old  church  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Zion  near 
which  their  Bishop  resides.  The  Copts  have  two  monasteries. 
The  Abyssinians  possess  a  monastery  in  the  city  and  a  fine 
church  in  the  new  city  on  the  northwest. 

The  Church  of  England,  represented  by  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  and  the  London  Society  for  the  Promotion  of 
Christianity  among  the  Jews,  carries  on  the  most  extensive 
mission  work  done  by  the  Protestants.  The  former  society 
confines  its  efforts  to  the  native  population  and  works  in  the 
neighboring  villages  as  well  as  in  Jerusalem.  Their  native  ad- 
herents number  about  130,  many  of  whom  derive  support  from 
the  mission.  For  the  number  of  workers  the  results  appear 
very  small,  and  when  one  compares  the  amount  of  money  ex- 
pended with  these  small  results  the  wonder  is  that  the  sup- 
porters of  the  work  do  not  become  discouraged  and  apply  the 
money  here  used  to  more  appreciative  people  in  other  parts  of 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  325 

the  world.  Plainly,  Jerusalem  is  over-missionized.  This  is 
saying  nothing  derogatory  to  the  missionaries,  both  men  and 
women,  for  whom  one  cannot  but  have  the  very  highest  regard. 
If  there  is  any  censure  it  belongs  to  the  Church  Boards  of  Eng- 
land and  America,  who  keep  increasing  the  number  of  workers 
and  the  amount  of  expenditures  without  any  intelligent  con- 
sideration of  the  conditions.  If  the  object  of  the  Churches  is 
to  increase  the  working  force  on  the  mission  field  it  is  attained  ; 
but  if  it  be  to  make  the  best  use  of  time  and  money — two  things 
which  ought  never  to  be  lost  sight  of  in  this  as  in  all  other 
kinds  of  work — thorough  knowledge  of  the  conditions,  and 
the  conduct  of  affairs  in  strict  accordance  with  that  knowl- 
edge, must  take  the  place  of  the  present  methods.  Until  this 
change  is  made,  the  missionaries  will  continue  to  be  subjects 
of  criticism  because  of  their  lives  of  apparent  ease ;  and  con- 
clusions unfavorable  to  all  missionary  effort  will  continue  to  be 
drawn  by  those  who  have  no  real  interest  in  the  Christianizing 
of  the  Moslem  and  the  Jew. 

The  Church  Missionary  Society  employs  in  all  about  twenty 
workers.  These  are  preachers,  teachers,  and  house  to  house 
visitors.  Services  in  Arabic  are  held  every  Sunday  in  St. 
Paul's  Church  north  of  the  city.  There  is  a  boys'  boarding- 
school,  founded  by  Bishop  Gobat,  where  about  seventy  boys 
are  educated ;  it  is  situated  on  the  southwestern  slope  of  Zion. 
This  society  also  conducts  a  day  school  for  boys  and  girls. 

The  "London  Jews  Society"  owns  the  handsome  stone 
church  on  Mount  Zion,  just  opposite  the  Tower  of  David. 
Services  are  held  every  Sunday  and  are  in  English  and  He- 
brew. A  fine  boys'  school  adjoins  the  church  where  children 
of  Jewish  parentage  are  cared  for.  To  the  north  of  the  city 
is  the  girls'  school  of  this  society  which  is  ably  conducted  and 
possesses  the  best  equipped  school  building  in  Palestine,  with 
the  exception  of  the  American  Friends'  School  at  Ramallah. 
Under  the  care  of  the  society  is  also  a  "house  of  industry" 
where  young  proselytes  are  taught  useful  trades;  and  just  now 


326  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

there  is  being  erected  a  magnificent  new  hospital  a  short  dis- 
tance north  of  the  British  Consulate. 

The  British  Ophthalmic  Hospital  near  the  railroad  station, 
which  is  supported  by  the  English  Knights  of  St.  John,  is  do- 
ing a  noble  work. 

The  German  Evangelical  Community  numbers  about  two 
hundred.  These  with  the  English  community  formerly  united 
under  one  Protestant  bishop,  supported  by  Prussia  and  Eng- 
land ;  an  arrangement  which  was  not  found  altogether  satis- 
factory and  was  dissolved  in  1887.  The  Anglican  Bishopric 
is  still  maintained  and  the  office  held  by  the  Right  Reverend 
G.  F.  Popham  Blyth,  D.  D. 

The  German  religious  and  charitable  institutions  under  the 
care  of  the  Evangelicals  are  the  girls'  orphanage,  Talitha  Cumi, 
conducted  by  the  Deaconnesses  of  Kaiserswerth ;  Schneller's 
orphanage  for  boys;  the  Hospital  of  St.  John;  the  Hospital 
of  the  Deaconnesses  of  Kaiserswerth.  In  this  connection 
should  be  named  the  estimable  work  done  by  Doctor  San- 
dreczky  and  his  family  in  the  Children's  Hospital.  Though 
hampered  by  lack  of  means,  the  results  accomplished  by  the 
doctor  in  his  small  institution  are  beyond  praise.  Any  one 
has  but  to  see  the  wretched  condition  of  the  native  children  of 
Palestine  and  the  children  of  poor  Jews  to  appreciate  what  a 
blessing  such  an  institution  is.  The  hospital  is  always  over- 
crowded by  the  little  sufferers  and  their  mothers,  and  were  the 
means  provided  the  accommodations  could  be  indefinitely  in- 
creased. As  it  is  the  doctor  and  his  family  serve  gratuitously 
and  by  doing  their  very  best  cannot  supply  the  needs  of  all  the 
deserving  applicants.  Their  work  is  done  without  ostentation 
and  most  economically. 

Very  worthy  of  mention  also  is  the  Lepers'  Hospital  south- 
west of  the  city,  which  is  supported  by  the  Brethren  of  Herrn- 
hut.  The  form  of  leprosy  that  may  now  be  seen  all  too  fre- 
quently in  the  environs  of  Jerusalem  is  not  the  same  as  that  of 
Bible  times.     Hideously  repulsive  as  the  victims  of  it  are  and 


The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  327 

fatal  as  are  its  results  it  is  not  contagious.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  it  could  be  stamped  out  in  a  single  generation  if  the  au- 
thorities would  seclude  the  infected  ones  and  prevent  any  of 
them  from  marrying.  The  disease  is  hereditary  and  the  chil- 
dren of  afflicted  parents  are  sure  to  have  it  sooner  or  later. 

The  Evangelical  Germans  own  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of 
property  in  the  city.  This  was  a  gift  from  the  Sultan  to 
Prussia,  made  in  1869  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  to  Con- 
stantinople of  the  Crown  Prince.  The  property  is  now  called 
the  Muristan.  Since  the  time  of  Charlemagne  Christian  build- 
ings have  stood  on  this  ground.  The  most  important  of  these, 
the  remains  of  which  still  exist,  were  the  work  of  Raymond  du 
Puy  in  1130  to  1140.  In  the  conquest  of  Saladin  this  mag- 
nificent property  was  given  as  an  endowment  to  the  Mosque 
of  Omar.  As  usual  with  such  possessions  in  Moslem  lands  the 
buildings  were  permitted  to  fall  into  decay.  City  refuse  was 
thrown  in  and  about  the  grounds  so  that  when  the  Prussians 
came  into  possession  an  immense  amount  of  labor  and  expense 
was  necessary  in  order  to  clear  away  the  rubbish.  At  present 
the  Germans  hold  services  in  a  temporary  chapel  which  was 
formerly  the  refectory  of  the  Hospitallers.  The  fine  new  church 
that  is  being  erected  on  this  site  will  soon  be  ready  for  occu- 
pancy, and  when  completed  will  be  the  most  imposing  struc- 
ture owned  by  the  Protestants  in  Jerusalem. 

Southwest  of  the  city  is  the  pleasant  German  colony  num- 
bering about  three  hundred  souls.  The  members  of  it  are 
Templars  and  are  now  engaged  in  business  and  useful  trades. 
Their  settlement  here  and  in  other  parts  of  Palestine  was  the 
result  of  a  religious  movement  in  Wiirtemburg  in  i860.  The 
leaders  of  this  movement  considered  that  it  was  the  duty  of 
Christianity  to  illustrate  and  embody  the  Kingdom  of  Christ 
on  earth ;  and  accordingly  they  started  these  Christian  social 
settlements  with  the  avowed  object  of  regenerating  the  Church 
and  the  social  life  of  Europe.  They  have  discarded  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity  and  the  Divinity  of  Christ.     Numerous 


328  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

schisms  have  disturbed  them  and  their  object  in  coming  and 
founding  these  communities  seems  a  long  way  from  being  real- 
ized. By  their  industry  and  frugality,  however,  they  set  a 
good  example  for  the  natives  about  them,  though  their  com- 
munity is  not  "  ideal." 

Though  the  first  Protestant  Mission  in  Jerusalem  was  opened 
by  Christians  from  the  United  States,  the  mission  representa- 
tion from  that  far-away  country  is  now  small,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  three  ladies  under  appointment  from  the  Chris- 
tian Alliance  of  New  York,  is  confined  to  three  or  four  independ- 
ent workers  whose  labors  are  for  the  conversion  of  the  Jews. 
The  Spafford  Community  near  the  Damascus  Gate,  originally 
composed  of  Americans,  cannot  be  classed  as  missionaries,  as 
they  do  not  pretend  to  do  any  mission  work. 

After  this  recital  of  Christian  institutions  and  laborers,  one 
unacquainted  with  the  place  might  look  for  the  immediate 
conversion  to  Christianity  of  all  the  non-Christians.  But  it 
must  be  said  that  there  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  indiffer- 
ence and  opposition  are  so  manifest.  Indifference  is  the  atti- 
tude of  the  Moslem,  while  opposition  characterizes  the  Jew. 
The  results  of  the  mission  work  are  necessarily  small,  and  will 
be  so  as  long  as  there  is  so  much  called  by  the  name  of  Christ 
that  is  unlovely  and  false,  and  in  some  instances  despicable. 
Here  as  elsewhere  Christianity  is  judged  by  its  fruits,  and  so 
much  of  the  product  is  undesirable  that  the  whole  is  refused. 
Before  the  indifference  can  be  changed  to  interest  and  the  op- 
position to  favor,  there  must  be  a  radical  change  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  It  must  return  to  the  Christianity  of  Christ, 
exhibiting  less  of  outward  form  and  more  of  love.  Until  that 
change  is  made — when  dead  form  will  give  place  to  genuine 
Christian  living — the  results  can  be  no  greater.  At  present 
the  time  given  to  this  work  is  almost  wasted  and  the  money 
spent  well-nigh  lost. 


THE  MOSLEMS 


Their  Names  for  Jerusalem — Religious  Reverence  for  It — 
El  Kuds — Mukaddasi  the  Historian — Early  Moslem  History — 
Abu  Bekr — Abou  Abeidah — Omar's  Conquest  of  the  City — 
Terms  of  Surrender — Moslem  Occupation  Previous  to  Crusades 
— Christian  Pilgrimages — Peter  the  Hermit — Christian  Con- 
quest— Saladin — Frederic  II -The  Kharezmians — Crusade  of 

St.  Louis — Sulieman — Jerusalem's  Governor — Megliss — Mos- 
lem Population — The  Unwelcome  Turk — Arab  Aristocracy — 
Moslem  Fatalism — "  Children  of  the  Sultan  " — Military  Serv- 
ice— Domestic  Life — Social  Life — Masculine  Superiority — Fe- 
male Education — Moslem  Toleration — Religious  Practices — 
Indifference — Fasts  and  Feasts — Nebi  Moosa — Moslem  Places 
of  Burial — Death — End  of  Moslem  Supremacy. 


33° 


XVIII 

THE   MOSLEMS 

SOME  idea  of  the  position  which  Jerusalem  occupies  in  the 
estimation  of  Moslems  may  be  obtained  by  a  brief  con- 
sideration of  the  names  they  give  it.  We  must  first,  however, 
take  into  account  an  exceeding  fondness  for  religious  expres- 
sions and  titles  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Oriental.  By  no  peo- 
ple is  this  fondness  exhibited  more  than  by  the  Arabs ;  judg- 
ing by  their  conversation  at  times,  one  unacquainted  with  them 
would  imagine  them  to  be  an  exceedingly  holy  and  religious 
race.  Religious  they  are,  but  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  would 
be  a  mistake  to  call  them  holy.  They  have  a  fondness,  too, 
for  reverencing  certain  places,  because  of  some  real  or  sup- 
posed connection  of  the  place  with  an  event  in  the  history  of 
the  nation  or  with  the  life  of  a  worthy  individual.  Through- 
out Mohammedan  lands  there  are  reputed  holy  places,  and  as 
the  true  follower  of  the  Prophet  passes  these  he  stops  to  breathe  a 
prayer ;  and  if  it  should  be  the  regular  prayer  hour  he  spreads 
his  rug  or  arbeyyeh  and  piously  prostrates  himself. 

But  of  all  holy  places  in  Palestine  Jerusalem  is  the  most  re- 
nowned. No  pious  Moslem  comes  within  sight  of  it  without 
emotion  and  some  religious  expression.  All  about,  on  the 
neighboring  hills,  where  a  first  view  of  the  city  is  had  are 
small  piles  of  stones  set  up  as  memorials.  These  are  silent 
prayers  of  thanksgiving  and  adoration — thanksgiving  because 
the  ones  who  erected  them  have  been  permitted  to  attain  these 
view-points,  and  adoration  at  what  they  behold.  It  is  the 
"holy  of  holies"  of  Palestine;  hence  the  names  they  have 
given  it.  Many  of  the  natives  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
city  do  not  know  the  word  "Jerusalem,"  and  if  one  were  to 

33i 


332  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

ask  them  where  the  city  of  that  name  is  would  not  understand. 
The  name  would  be  new  to  them.  To  the  Moslem  Jerusalem 
is  always  El  Kuds — the  Holy.  Sometimes  he  speaks  of  it  as 
Bait  El  Mukaddas  or  Makdis — the  Holy  House. 

Early  Arab  historians  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  the  city. 
In  poetry  it  is  occasionally  spoken  of  as  El  Balat,  meaning 
"the  court"  or  "royal  residence,"  a  word  supposed  to  be  a 
corruption  of  the  Latin  palatium.  Mukaddasi,  whose  name 
indicates  that  he  was  a  native  of  "the  Holy  House,"  writing 
near  the  close  of  the  tenth  century,  says : 

"  The  Holy  City,  Bait  el  Makdis,  is  also  known  as  Iliya  and 
El  Balat.  Among  provincial  towns  none  is  larger  than  Jeru- 
salem, and  many  capitals  are,  in  fact,  smaller.  Neither  the 
cold  nor  the  heat  is  excessive  here,  and  snow  falls  but  rarely. 
The  Kadi  Abu-1  Kasim,  son  of  the  Kadi  of  the  Holy  Cities 
of  Makkah  and  Al  Madinah,  inquired  of  me  once  concerning 
the  climate  of  Jerusalem.  I  answered:  "It  is  betwixt  and 
between — neither  very  hot  nor  very  cold."  Said  he  in  reply : 
"Just  as  that  of  Paradise."1  This  quotation  is  here  intro- 
duced to  show  that  at  the  time  it  was  written  the  name  Aelia 
(Iliya),  given  to  the  city  by  Hadrian,  in  a.  d.  130,  was  still 
in  use  and  also  that  the  ancient  Jewish  name  was  known. 

The  history  of  how  Palestine  became  the  possession  of  the 
followers  of  the  Arab  Prophet  while  exceedingly  interesting 
can  be  but  touched  upon  here. 

Mohammed,  driven  from  his  native  Mecca,  barely  escaping 
with  his  life,  was  soon  to  return  at  the  head  of  ten  thousand 
zealous  followers,  take  that  city,  crush  his  enemies,  shatter  the 
idols  of  the  Caaba,  give  a  new  religion  to  Arabia  and  begin 
that  marvellous  conquest  of  fanaticism,  which  was  to  sweep 
like  a  fury  over  eastern  Asia  and  northern  Africa ;  enter  Eu- 
rope at  its  eastern  and  western  extremities  and  retain  much  of 
that  territory  to  this  day. 

Belief  in  the  divine  mission  of  their  Prophet  sent  the  wan- 
»  "  Palestine  under  the   Moslems,"  p.  84. 


The  Moslems  333 

dering  Arabs,  fired  with  holy  zeal,  out  from  the  "parched 
plains  of  the  Hejjaz,"  with  its  wastes  of  dreary  landscape,  to 
the  more  fertile  and  much  more  attractive  lands  to  the  west. 
Abu  Bekr,  the  successor  of  the  Prophet,  looked  with  covetous 
eyes  upon  Palestine,  and,  issuing  an  appeal  to  the  sheikhs  of 
the  various  tribes  of  Arabs,  exhorted  them  to  assist  him  in 
adding  it  to  his  territorial  possessions.  The  response  was  all 
that  could  have  been  desired,  and  an  army  was  soon  on  the 
way.  The  Christians  made  a  feeble  resistance.  One  by  one 
the  cities  of  Syria  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  invaders.  After 
the  battle  of  Yarmuk,  in  636  a.  d.,  where  the  Christians  met 
a  disastrous  defeat,  nothing  prevented  the  victors  from  march- 
ing against  Jerusalem.  The  Moslems  were  then  commanded 
by  Abou  Obeidah.  Arriving  at  the  fords  of  the  Jordan  this 
general  despatched  a  messenger  to  the  Patriarch  of  Aelia  de- 
manding the  absolute  surrender  of  the  city.  His  message  was 
couched  in  the  following  terse  but  determined  words :  "In 
the  name  of  God,  merciful  and  gracious !  From  Abou 
Obeidah  Ibn-el-Jirah  to  the  Christians  of  the  people  of 
Aelia,  health !  and  to  all  who  follow  the  right  way,  and  be- 
lieve in  God  and  in  His  Prophet !  To  come  to  the  point. 
For  my  part  I  beg  you  to  bear  witness  that  there  is  no  God 
but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  the  apostle  of  God ;  and  that  the 
moment  of  judgment  will  come  beyond  all  doubt,  and  that 
God  will  raise  men  from  the  dead.  And  if  you  will  stand  to 
this  your  blood  is  sacred  unto  us  as  well  as  your  property,  and 
your  children,  and  you  shall  be  to  us  as  brothers;  but  if  you 
will  refuse  I  will  bring  down  upon  you  a  people  more  earnest 
in  their  love  of  death  than  are  you  in  the  drinking  of  wine  or 
eating  of  hogs'  flesh,  nor  will  I  ever  pass  away  from  you, 
please  God,  until  I  have  killed  your  warriors  and  made  cap- 
tive your  children."  1 

Such  a  proposal  was  enough  to  arouse  the  ire  of  all  in  Jeru- 
salem.    It  was  refused  and  for  four  months  the  Christians  in 
!Ockley's  "Saracens,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  214. 


334  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

the  city  held  out.  But  at  the  end  of  this  time,  seeing  the 
hopelessness  of  resistance,  the  patriarch  from  the  city  wall 
called  the  Moslem  general  for  a  parley.  No  terms  satisfactory 
to  both  could  be  agreed  upon,  so  that  finally  the  patriarch  de- 
cided to  capitulate.  That  he  was  still  regarded  as  a  respect- 
able adversary  is  shown  by  his  refusal  to  treat  as  to  terms  of 
capitulation  with  anybody  but  the  caliph  himself.  His  request 
was  granted.  Omar  was  sent  for  and  came.  Terms  were 
agreed  upon  and  Jerusalem  became  a  Moslem  city.  The 
terms  were  rather  severe  on  the  Christians,  but  were  more 
favorable  than  they  would  have  been  able  to  secure  had  they 
refused  and  resorted  to  the  judgment  of  the  sword.  The  con- 
quered were  guaranteed  security  for  their  persons  and  prop- 
erty; freedom  to  practice  their  religious  exercises  in  their 
churches,  except  that  at  all  hours  the  churches  must  be  open 
to  Moslem  inspection ;  Christians  must  always  treat  Moslems 
with  the  greatest  respect,  affording  them  hospitality  when 
asked,  rising  to  receive  them  and  granting  to  them  the  places 
of  honor  in  their  assemblies.  Christians  must  build  no  new 
churches;  have  no  public  exhibitions  of  their  religion;  not 
wear  the  cross  or  exhibit  the  sign  of  it  on  the  street ;  in  no 
way  were  they  permitted  to  imitate  Moslems.  They  were  to 
carry  no  arms;  use  no  bells;  not  place  their  lamps  in  public 
places,  nor  enter  a  Moslem  house  for  any  purpose  whatever. 
No  Christian  should  strike  a  Moslem.  Violation  of  any  of 
these  stipulations  might  cost  the  offender  his  life,  as  he  was 
"deserving  of  the  punishment  inflicted  upon  rebellious  sub- 
jects."1 

To  accept  such  terms  was  an  evidence  of  the  weakness  of 
the  Christians,  and  we  may  be  sure  that  there  was  a  silent  de- 
termination to  better  those  terms  just  as  soon  as  the  strength 
was  theirs.  In  the  meantime  they  must  make  the  best  of  their 
bad  condition. 

The  Moslem  conquerors  were  not  harder  masters  than  they 
i"  History  of  Jerusalem,"  Besant  and  Palmer,  p.  8l. 


The  Moslems  335 

had  to  be,  and  were  probably  more  lenient  in  their  treatment 
of  the  vanquished  than  the  vanquished  would  have  been  to 
them  had  the  positions  been  reversed.  It  is  true,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  the  promises  of  the  caliphs  were  frequently  made 
of  none  effect  by  the  generals  in  the  field.  By  many  of  the 
latter  the  Christians  were  regarded  as  legitimate  prey,  whom, 
to  leave  "  unplucked  "  was  out  of  the  question.  Consequently 
the  unfortunate  non-Moslems  were  often  roughly  treated, 
beaten  and  robbed. 

During  the  Moslem  occupation  previous  to  the  Crusades  the 
Christian  population  of  Palestine  were  frequent  sufferers  at  the 
hands  of  their  political  masters.  Warring  tribes  of  Moslems 
kept  them  in  fear  of  their  lives,  and  the  result  of  every  change 
in  the  caliphate  was  anxiously  awaited.  But  all  the  oppres- 
sions of  all  his  predecessors  were  forgotten  in  the  awful  perse- 
cutions inflicted  upon  them  by  El  Hakem  Biamr  Ullah.  This 
madman  was  the  third  caliph  of  the  Fatimite  dynasty. 
Hakem  ascended  the  throne  in  the  year  996,  at  the  age  of 
eleven.  Four  years  later  Christians  and  Jews  began  to  reap 
the  harvest  of  his  hatred.  Important  persons  had  the  choice 
of  embracing  Islam  or  losing  all  their  property,  and  those  who 
made  the  latter  choice  often  suffered  violent  death.  On  Jeru- 
salem Hakem's  destructive  hand  fell  and,  in  the  year  10 10, 
the  order  was  given  for  the  demolition  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  order  was  executed,  only  to  be  fol- 
lowed shortly  after  by  one  for  the  restoration  of  the  Church. 
Various  reasons  are  advanced  to  explain  Hakem's  actions,  but 
the  only  satisfactory  one  is  that  he  was  mad  and  that  this  was 
one  of  the  freaks  of  his  madness. 

The  restoration  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre  was  com- 
pleted thirty-seven  years  after  the  destruction.  It  could  not 
really  have  been  called  a  restoration,  for  it  was  only  a  partial 
rebuilding.  The  Basilica  of  Constantine  was  not  included  in 
the  work,  while  Calvary  and  other  sacred  sites  near  at  hand 
were  covered  by  small  chapels.     The  persecutions,  however, 


336  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

did  not  cease,  nor  was  the  condition  of  the  Christians  alle- 
viated by  any  of  Hakem's  successors.  It  became  worse,  until 
the  sufferings  they  endured  were  terrible.  The  treatment  ac- 
corded pilgrims  from  the  west  was  such  as  would  lead  one  to 
imagine  that  the  desire  to  make  pilgrimages  would  cease.  On 
the  contrary,  that  pious  ardor  could  not  be  smothered.  The 
people  still  came  in  crowds.  At  the  same  time  the  indignities 
the  pilgrims  suffered  were  arousing  in  Europe  a  spirit  of  ha- 
tred against  the  Moslems,  and  a  determination  to  wrest  from 
them  the  places  made  holy  by  their  association  with  the  Lord 
and  His  disciples.  For  at  least  a  century  before  the  preaching 
of  the  Crusade  by  Peter  the  Hermit  the  patriarchs  of  Jerusalem 
and  those  high  in  the  ecclesiastical  position  in  the  west  felt 
that  the  pilgrimages  must  cease  or  the  pilgrims  be  protected. 
Either  seemed  impossible.  The  effort  was  made  to  stop  the 
pilgrims  and  to  convince  them  that  it  was  possible  to  worship 
God  and  venerate  the  memory  of  Christ  without  leaving  home. 
But  the  tide  of  pilgrimage  kept  rising  each  year. 

In  the  year  1050  (cir.)  there  was  born  in  Picardy  a  child 
who  was  to  be  known  in  history  as  Peter  the  Hermit.  When 
over  forty  years  of  age  he  joined  the  pilgrims  to  Palestine. 
What  he  saw  along  the  route  and  in  the  Holy  Land  itself 
called  up  in  him  a  spirit  of  enterprise  that  was  not  to  be  put 
down.  With  the  sanction  of  Pope  Urban  he  went  through 
Europe  and  with  irresistible  eloquence  summoned  the  people 
to  take  part  in  the  glorious  work  of  recovering  Jerusalem  from 
the  sacrilegious  presence  of  the  infidels. 

It  does  not  belong  to  such  a  work  as  this  to  describe  the 
forces  operating  in  Europe  that  assisted  in  the  rousing  of 
public  opinion,  the  raising  of  immense  bodies  of  men,  the 
starting  them  on  that  dreadful  march  of  death  to  the  Holy 
Land.  A  miserable  remnant  finally  reached  their  destination, 
and,  on  June  7th,  1099,  pitched  camp  before  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem.  It  was  not  until  the  fifteenth  of  the  following 
July  that  an  entrance  was  effected.     Then  Jerusalem  became 


The  Moslems  337 

a  Christian  possession  and  so  remained,  nominally,  for  nearly 
a  hundred  years,  or  until  the  year  1186.  It  was  retaken  by 
Saladin,  the  Magnificent,  after  a  tedious  siege  during  which 
the  Christian  inhabitants  fought  with  the  courage  of  despair, 
and  secured  by  their  heroism  much  better  terms,  when  they 
finally  capitulated,  than  they  had  any  reason  to  expect.  No 
more  famous  or  liberal  prince  has  appeared  in  Moslem  history 
than  this  conqueror  of  the  city.  He  was  a  man  of  many 
virtues,  a  true  knight,  and  the  peer  of  any  prince  among  the 
Crusaders. 

At  Saladin's  death  the  kingdom  he  had  won  was  divided 
between  his  two  sons  Efdhal  and  Aziz,  the  former  retaining 
Syria  with  his  capital  at  Damascus,  the  latter  succeeding  to 
the  throne  of  Egypt.  Aziz  dying  shortly  after,  his  uncle 
Aadel  became  virtual  ruler  of  Egypt.  Internal  wars  marked 
the  course  of  the  succeeding  rulers  at  Cairo  and  Damascus. 
These  weakened  the  power  of  the  defenders  of  Islam  and 
gave  some  encouragement  to  Christian  hopes  that  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  might  be  recovered  by  them.  The  spirit  of  the 
Crusaders  had  not  yet  subsided. 

These  hopes  of  the  Christians  were  realized,  but  not  in  a 
way  expected,  nor  was  there  any  rejoicing  in  Christendom 
when  the  fact  that  Jerusalem  had  been  ceded  to  the  Emperor 
Frederic  II.  was  known.  The  Church  was  against  this  prince 
as  he  was  under  the  interdict  of  the  Pope,  having  been  twice 
excommunicated  by  Gregory.  In  spite  of  the  pontifical  mal- 
edictions Frederic  went  on  his  Crusade  to  the  Holy  Land  and 
soon  after  landing  at  Acre,  where  he  was  acknowledged  as 
king  by  the  Knights  Templars  and  Hospitallers,  entered  into 
secret  communications  with  the  sultan  Kamil  of  Damascus. 
A  treaty  was  soon  effected,  and  Jerusalem  was  again  a  Chris- 
tian city,  with  the  exception  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  to  which 
Mohammedans  were  to  have  free  access  and  where  they  might 
practice  undisturbed,  their  religious  observances.  Frederic 
went  to  Jerusalem,  entered  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  accompanied 


338  Jerusalem  the  Holy- 

only  by  his  trusty  retainers,  took  the  crown  and  placed  it  on 
his  own  head.  The  clergy  of  all  degrees  refused  to  partici- 
pate in  the  act  of  coronation  and  without  religious  ceremony 
Frederic  became  the  Christian  king  of  Jerusalem.  However, 
he  soon  returned  to  Europe ;  the  city  was  left  defenceless  and 
its  Christian  population  were  in  constant  fear  of  danger  from 
their  unfriendly  neighbors. 

In  1244  a  new  terror  to  Christian  and  Moslem  alike  appeared. 
Driven  out  of  their  land  by  Tartar  bands  the  Kharezmians  ap- 
peared in  Syria.  Death  to  all  followed  the  course  of  their 
march.  To  appease  them  the  Sultan  of  Cairo  gave  them 
Palestine  as  their  own  on  condition  that  they  should  conquer 
it,  and  the  condition  was  met  by  the  slaughter  of  nearly  all 
Jerusalem  Christians.  The  Sultan  failed  to  carry  out  his 
promise  to  give  them  Palestine,  thinking  to  satisfy  them  with 
Damascus  which  they  captured  and  plundered ;  they  were  not 
to  be  thus  put  off  however,  and  making  war  to  establish  their 
right  were,  after  ten  battles,  hopelessly  defeated.  Four  years 
will  cover  the  period  they  were  known  to  history. 

To  encourage  the  few  remaining  Christians  and,  if  possible, 
repeople  the  depleted  land  with  their  co-religionists  from  the 
west  the  Crusades  of  Saint  Louis  were  undertaken.  This  was 
the  fifth  move  of  this  kind.  It  was  begun  in  1250  and  was  a 
failure,  as  was  that  of  Edward,  the  Black  Prince,  in  1270. 
Subsequent  attempts  at  arousing  the  crusading  spirit  all  failed. 
Priest  and  poet  used  all  their  powers  to  this  end,  but  without 
effect.  Repeated  disasters  had  chilled  the  ardor  of  the  people. 
They  were  content  to  rest  quietly  at  home,  regretting  that  the 
holy  places  were  in  infidel  possession,  but  not  willing  to  un- 
dertake the  heavy  task  of  displacing  the  unbelievers. 

For  the  next  three  hundred  years  nothing  worthy  of  a  place 
in  history  happened  in  this  city  that  once  defied  the  armies  of 
imperial  Rome.  There  were  strifes  at  arms  around  it,  but  the 
contestants  were  members  of  Moslem  clans  little  better  than 
highwaymen,   and   their  quarrels  were  tribal  disputes.      The 


The  Moslems  339 

ecclesiastics  who  were  permitted  to  remain,  for  lack  of  prof- 
itable employment,  indulged  in  theological  hair-splitting, 
wordy  contentions  unprofitable  to  themselves  and  to  the 
world. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  power  of  the 
Egyptian  Sultans  had  so  waned  that  some  of  their  outlying 
provinces  were  merely  nominally  under  their  control.  Such 
was  their  authority  over  Palestine,  where  the  governor  was  the 
virtual  ruler  and  carried  out  the  Sultan's  orders  when  they 
coincided  with  his  own  wishes.  Outside  the  city  the  sheikhs 
of  the  various  tribes  of  the  Bedouin  and  Fellahin  were  beyond 
the  control  of  anybody  and  could  not  be  called  to  account  for 
any  of  their  numerous  deeds  of  violence.  It  was  a  condition 
bordering  on  anarchy.  At  this  time  Selim  I.,  the  Ottoman 
Sultan  came  into  power.  Both  before  and  after  his  conquest 
of  Egpyt  he  visited  Jerusalem.  Under  his  successor  Suleiman 
(1542)  Jerusalem  again  rose  to  some  little  importance.  Her 
walls,  as  they  stand  to-day,  were  erected  by  this  monarch. 

For  the  next  century  and  a  half  the  city  was  too  insignif- 
icant to  command  any  marked  attention  from  the  outside 
world.  During  the  revolution  of  Mohammed-Ali  it  came 
peaceably  into  this  really  great  general's  possession  in  1832, 
but  was  restored  to  the  Porte  after  the  bombardment  of  Acre  in 
1840.  It  now  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  capital  of  a 
pashalic. 

The  Pasha  of  the  city,  called  Mutaserif,  receives  his  ap- 
pointment from  the  Sultan,  and  is  responsible  for  government 
affairs  over  the  entire  province  of  El  Kuds,  which  compre- 
hends all  southern  Palestine  west  of  the  river  Jordan  and  the 
Dead  Sea.  The  present  governor  is  a  Turkish  gentleman  of 
high  character  who  admirably  maintains  the  dignity  of  his 
office  and  whose  integrity  has  never  been  questioned.  Nor 
has  he  an  easy  post  to  fill.  The  variety  of  nationalities  repre- 
sented in  his  district,  their  amenability  to  their  consular  rep- 
resentatives and  the  rights  guaranteed  them  under  treaty,  the 


340  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

untrustworthiness  of  some  of  the  officials  upon  whom  he  must 
depend  for  the  management  of  certain  branches  of  the  gov- 
ernment, all  conspire  to  complicate  matters  and  make  abso- 
lutely necessary  a  head  clear  in  planning  and  a  will  determined 
in  execution.  That  he  sometimes  fails  to  give  satisfaction  to 
all  parties  is  no  discredit.  Any  one  who  knows  the  obstacles 
against  which  the  governor  has  to  contend  will  be  sparing  in 
criticism  of  his  failures,  and  wonder  that  he  accomplishes  with 
so  little  friction  his  many  duties. 

In  the  management  of  city  affairs  the  Pasha  is  assisted 
by  a  local  council,  called  Megliss,  composed  of  nine  Moslems, 
one  Jew  and  one  Christian.  The  power  of  this  council,  how- 
ever, is  very  limited,  and  its  findings  are  liable  at  any  time  to 
reversal. 

The  worst  sufferers  at  the  hands  of  the  officers  of  the  law 
are  the  Jews.  These  people  are  not  wanted  in  this  city  by  the 
government,  and  those  who  have  government  affairs  in  charge 
make  it  difficult  for  them  to  get  here  and  still  more  difficult  to 
remain.  But  in  this  respect  the  various  Christian  nations  have 
little  to  say  to  the  Moslem.  The  records  of  Jewish  oppression 
in  Christian  lands  are  quite  as  painful  as  any  that  the  Orient 
can  show.  Yet  the  Hebrew  not  only  endures  his  many  wrongs : 
wonderful  as  it  is,  he  thrives  in  spite  of  them. 

Of  the  Moslem  population,  which  numbers  between  seven 
and  eight  thousand,  not  more  than  three  hundred  are  genuine 
Turks,  but  these  three  hundred  hold  the  chief  civil  and  mili- 
tary positions,  and  it  is  true  of  them,  as  of  Turks  in  other 
parts  of  the  empire,  that  they  are  an  unwelcome  minority. 
The  Arabs  do  not  like  them  and  would  be  glad  if  some  event 
would  cause  their  removal.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to 
seek.  As  long  as  the  Turks  are  present  they  will  hold  the 
offices,  and  the  opportunities  for  advancement  that  go  with 
them,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  native  Moslems,  who  are  quite 
ready  to  serve  the  Sultan  in  this  way.  They  are  certainly 
right  in  considering  themselves  equally  competent  with  their 


The  Moslems  341 

Turkish  brethren,  but  it  will  be  a  discouragingly  long  time 
before  their  turn  arrives. 

The  native  Moslems  nearly  all  lay  claim  to  aristocratic  ori- 
gin, that  is  to  say,  they  trace  their  descent  from  the  Prophet, 
or  some  relation  of  the  Prophet.  Guarded  as  zealously  as  the 
greatest  treasure  is  the  genealogical  tree,  a  transcript  of  which, 
in  ornamental  Arabic  characters,  may  be  seen  in  the  chief 
room  of  each  of  the  houses.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  line 
has  been  kept  unbroken,  and  that  their  progenitors  did  come 
at  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Omar  and  settle  here.  The 
leading  families  are  the  Husseini,  Jawani,  Khaldi,  Jarallah, 
Ersasi,  El  Jaberi,  El  Kelami,  Dijani,  and  Denaf.  Some  of 
these  are  well  provided  with  this  world's  goods,  so  that  to  do 
any  sort  of  labor  is  a  matter  of  choice  with  them;  others  are 
quite  poor,  and  though  the  blood  of  the  Prophet — equal  to 
that  of  any  king — flows  in  their  veins,  they  are  compelled  to 
engage  in  some  remunerative  employment.  There  are  trades- 
men and  storekeepers  among  them,  and  the  fact  that  they  can 
do  business  where  the  Jew  so  largely  predominates  is  all  the 
evidence  one  needs  that  their  abilities  in  this  line  are  not 
to  be  despised. 

The  real  Moslem  is  a  good  deal  of  a  fatalist.  This  is  ex- 
hibited in  even  the  smallest  matters  of  life.  No  one  is  more 
frequent  in  pious  ejaculations,  brief  prayers  for  Divine  assist- 
ance and  thanksgiving  for  favors.  They  seem  to  rise  naturally 
to  his  lips  and,  no  matter  what  the  surroundings  or  other  mat- 
ters in  hand,  must  be  expressed.  When  he  opens  his  shop  in 
the  morning  he  invokes  Allah's  blessing  on  the  new  day  and 
the  business  that  may  come  with  it,  saying, 

"  Oh,  Opener  of  the  day,  oh,  Gracious  One, 
Oh,  Restorer  of  property,  oh,  Bountiful  One." 

And  then  with  assiduity  he  proceeds  to  business,  using  every 
effort  to  make  as  much  as  he  can,  but  never  complaining.  All 
comes  from  God. 


342  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

The  soldiers  wearing  the  uniform  of  the  Sultan  form  a  con- 
spicuous part  of  the  population.  There  are  usually  from  six 
hundred  to  a  thousand  of  these  "  children  of  the  Sultan  "  sta- 
tioned in  Jerusalem.  All  are  Moslems.  To  have  Christians 
or  Jews  in  their  armies  is  not  thought  of  by  the  Turks,  or,  if 
thought  of,  very  wisely  never  put  into  execution.  The  Turk 
well  knows  that  his  subjects  of  other  faiths  have  no  love  for 
him  and  in  case  of  war  with  a  Christian  Power  would  be  cer- 
tain to  desert  the  Crescent  and  favor  the  Cross.  Consequently 
his  regiments  are  composed  of  Moslems  only,  while  his  Chris- 
tian and  Jewish  subjects  are  taxed  to  support  them.  At  first 
view  this  looks  a  little  severe,  as  if  it  were  sort  of  "  taxation 
without  representation  "  ;  but  it  is  the  only  way  out  of  the  dif- 
ficulty. No  doubt  both  Christians  and  Jews  are  very  glad  not 
to  have  to  serve,  for  the  life  of  a  soldier  here  is  not  attractive ; 
his  quarters  are  miserable,  his  food  abominable,  the  uniform 
he  wears  every  day  was  never  intended  for  him,  is  made  of  the 
cheapest  shoddy  which  soon  fades  to  a  sickly  blue,  and  is  worn 
until  it  has  become  so  dilapidated  as  to  be  beyond  repair. 
When  a  special  occasion  requires  it  the  same  careless  looking 
fellows  can  display  neat  uniforms  and  orderly  behavior ;  and 
when  it  comes  to  actual  war  they  show  splendid  fighting  quali- 
ties and  hardly  know  what  fear  is. 

There  is  a  resident  general  in  Jerusalem  who  has  charge  of 
all  the  military  affairs  of  the  province,  and  as  the  troops  are 
frequently  changed  from  post  to  post  his  position  is  not  a  si- 
necure. The  bashi-bazouks  (military  police)  form  part  of  the 
force.  They  are  distinguished  for  their  excellent  horseman- 
ship. 

The  term  of  service  for  the  soldiers  is  seven  years,  and  it  is 
an  experience  entered  upon  by  most  of  them  with  great  re- 
luctance. Annual  conscriptions  are  made  and  various  are  the 
devices  employed  to  escape  the  officers.  It  is  only  a  question 
of  time,  however ;  in  the  end  they  are  caught,  and  once  in 
the  toils  they  settle  down  to  serve  their  time  with  characteristic 


The  Moslems  343 

resignation.  Though  in  times  of  peace  their  duties  are  light, 
no  one  can  doubt  that  their  remuneration,  thirty  piastres 
($1.20)  per  month,  with  food  and  clothing,  is  well  earned. 

Moslem  domestic  life  has  few  attractions  for  an  Occidental. 
Even  among  the  highest  classes  there  is  a  lack  of  cheerfulness 
in  the  home  life,  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  assumed  inequality  of 
the  sexes  and  the  consequent  inferior  position  which  woman  is 
compelled  to  occupy.  Before  girls  have  passed  the  age  of 
childhood  they  are  denied  that  freedom  of  action  so  essential 
to  the  happiness  of  children;  they  are  kept  secluded,  and 
when  they  do  appear  on  the  streets  it  must  be  with  face  hidden 
by  a  veil  and  with  the  body  covered  entirely  by  a  loose  flowing 
garment,  called  jibbe,  which  conceals  any  grace  of  form  its 
wearer  may  possess.  Once  the  veil  is  donned  no  man  except 
father,  brother,  husband  or  son  must  see  the  face.  To  allow  a 
stranger  to  look  upon  it  without  its  covering  veil  would  be  con- 
sidered a  disgrace. 

There  is  no  social  function  ever  held  at  which  men  and 
women  mingle.  At  occasional  family  celebrations  friends  are 
invited,  but  the  ladies  occupy  one  part  of  the  house  and  the 
gentlemen  the  other.  The  amusements  consist  of  conversa- 
tion, smoking  and  coffee  drinking,  in  all  which  the  female 
guests  will  equal  the  males. 

In  earliest  childhood  the  daughters  of  the  household  are 
made  to  feel  their  inferiority  to  their  brothers.  A  girl  baby  is 
always  unwelcome,  and  the  mother  of  many  daughters  is  al- 
most sure  to  lose  favor  in  her  husband's  eyes,  while  the 
mother  of  sons  gains  it.  The  boys  soon  learn  that  they  are 
considered  superior  to  their  sisters  and  act  accordingly.  Be- 
fore they  are  very  old  they  do  not  hesitate  to  assume  suprem- 
acy over  their  mothers.  Another  cause  of  woman's  inferiority 
is  her  lack  of  education.  Within  a  few  years  there  have  been 
some  improvements  in  this  regard,  but  it  is  said  that  as  late  as 
twenty  years  ago  there  was  not  a  Moslem  woman  in  Jerusalem 
who  could  write  her  own  name  or  read  it  when  it  was  written. 


344  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

Now  there  are  a  few  who  can  read  and  write,  and  within  a 
year  a  school  for  the  education  of  girls  has  been  opened  by 
the  Moslem  authorities.  This  is  a  decided  innovation  and 
was  doubtless  done  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  various 
Christian  schools  which  were  attracting  the  daughters  of  some 
of  the  careless  Moslem  parents.  The  authorities  saw  a  danger 
in  these  Christian  institutions  and  concluded  that  the  only 
way  to  avert  it  was  to  establish  a  school  of  their  own  so  as  to 
control  the  teachers  and  the  teaching. 

It  must  be  said  of  the  Jerusalem  Moslems  that  they  are 
much  more  tolerant  of  other  religious  beliefs  and  practices 
than  are  their  co-religionists  generally.  In  the  universal  con- 
demnation of  Moslem  fanaticism  this  should  be  remembered 
to  their  credit.  .  Their  religion  is  intolerant.  It  has  little 
sympathy  for  the  adherents  of  other  faiths.  It  once  advocated 
an  extermination  of  the  "  infidels."  Perhaps  it  would  con- 
tinue in  that  advocacy  did  its  leaders  dare.  There  are  evi- 
dences in  other  parts  of  the  Empire  that  give  reasons  for  such 
an  opinion.  But  after  several  years  of  acquaintance  with 
some  of  the  leading  Moslems  of  Jerusalem  I  cannot  but  re- 
gard them  as  gentlemen  of  very  liberal  views,  who,  while  they 
are  firm  in  their  belief  in  their  religion,  have  no  desire  to  in- 
terfere with  or  injure  any  who  differ  from  them.  They  are 
certainly  as  tolerant  of  the  Jerusalem  Jew  or  Christian  as  the 
Jew  or  Christian  is  of  them.  The  only  exceptions  are  the 
Mohammedans  who  live  on  Mount  Zion  and  have  charge  of 
the  Mosque  Nebi  Daud.  These  are  very  fanatical  and  lose  no 
opportunity  to  insult  strangers  who  go  too  near  this,  one  of 
their  holy  places.  They  resemble  in  this  the  Moslems  of  He- 
bron and  Nabulus. 

Of  the  religious  practices  of  the  followers  of  the  Prophet 
little  need  be  said ;  they  are  the  same  here  as  in  other  Mo- 
hammedan places.  The  stated  hours  for  daily  prayer  are  still 
cried  from  the  minarets  :  the  summons  are  obeyed  by  some, 
but  many  pay  no  attention  whatever.     Indifference  is  certainly 


The  Moslems  345 

on  the  increase  and  its  growth  is  one  of  several  grounds  for 
the  belief  that  the  doctrines  of  Islam  are  losing  their  power. 
Other  reasons  are  found  in  the  private  life  of  the  people.  The 
commands  of  the  Koran  concerning  temperance  and  purity 
are  openly  violated.  It  is  true  that  no  saloons  or  houses  of 
ill-fame  where  Moslems  congregate  can  be  seen,  but  that  they 
exist  is  an  open  secret,  and  that  nameless  iniquitous  practices 
are  common  is  well  known.  Only  the  uninformed  will  listen 
to  the  ignorant,  or  intentionally  deceptive  comparisons  of  the 
results  of  Islam  and  Christianity  in  the  lives  of  their  respective 
followers  which  are  unfavorable  to  the  latter. 

Like  the  Jews  and  Christians  the  Moslems  have  their  re- 
ligious fasts  and  feasts.  The  fast  of  Ramadan  and  the  feast  of 
Beiram  are  the  greatest  of  their  kind.  These  are  observed  in 
all  Moslem  lands  and  have  been  often  described.  A  festival 
peculiar  to  Jerusalem  is  the  annual  procession  to  the  tomb  of 
Moses.  Moslem  tradition  locates  this  tomb  in  the  wilderness 
west  of  the  northern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Over  the  site 
buildings  have  been  erected  capable  of  accommodating  several 
hundred  pilgrims.  Just  before  the  pilgrimage  is  made  crowds 
of  Moslems  from  all  over  the  country  and  from  other  parts  of 
the  Empire  throng  to  Jerusalem.  As  it  usually  comes  about 
Easter-time  the  city  is  thronged  until  the  streets  are  almost  im- 
passable. Men,  women  and  children,  on  foot,  on  donkeys  or 
camels,  and  in  palanquins,  to  the  music  of  pipes  and  drums 
and  cymbals  march  through  the  Jaffa  Gate  and  make  their  way 
to  the  grounds  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar.  They  are  several 
days  in  gathering,  during  which  time  the  spirit  of  fanaticism  runs 
high.  No  strangers  are  admitted  to  the  Mosque  area  during 
this  week,  for  the  governor  cannot  control  the  actions  of  these 
visitors  from  the  villages.  On  Friday,  after  prayers  in  the 
Haram,  the  procession  forms.  Accompanied  by  mounted 
police  and  led  by  the  military  band  the  pilgrims  file  out  of  the 
St.  Stephen's  Gate.  The  Bethany  road  for  a  mile  or  more 
is  lined  on  both  sides  by  spectators,  who  are  anxious  to  see 


346  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

this  display.  And  it  is  a  display  !  Such  varieties  of  cos- 
tume, such  wealth  of  banners,  such  a  display  of  colors  can 
be  seen  only  in  the  Orient.  The  pilgrims  walk  to  the  tomb  of 
Moses,  twenty  miles  distant,  and  spend  a  week  in  feasting  and 
semi-religious  exercises.  The  entertainment  is  provided  by 
the  Houssani  family,  of  Jerusalem,  who  have  charge  of  the 
tomb  and  grounds. 

Moslem  women  have  a  special  fondness  for  tomb  visiting. 
On  any  pleasant  afternoon  you  may  see  them  in  any  of  their 
three  cemeteries,  sitting  in  twos  and  threes  among  the  desolate 
graves.  There  are  no  more  cheerless  and  desolate  places  in 
this  land  of  rather  dreary  aspects  than  the  Moslem  fields  of 
sepulture.  And  yet  the  memory  of  their  dead  is  well  pre- 
served. Believing  that  the  spirits  of  the  departed  are  near 
and  can  understand  what  is  said  the  women  come  and  sit  for 
hours  by  the  grave  of  a  loved  one  and  tell  all  that  has  hap- 
pened since  their  last  visit.  It  is  a  wonder  that  with  this  be- 
lief does  not  come  a  desire  to  have  the  last  resting-place  of 
their  dead  show  some  evidences  of  care.  Most  important  of 
the  three  cemeteries  is  that  just  outside  the  east  wall  of  the 
Haram  enclosure.  Its  importance  is  not  due  to  its  size,  but  to 
its  alleged  proximity  to  the  seat  of  the  last  judgment.  Those 
buried  here  will  be  the  first  to  rise  and  the  first  judged. 
Moreover,  because  of  their  having  been  buried  in  this  excep- 
tionally holy  ground  the  judgment  will  be  favorable. 

The  death  of  a  Moslem  of  distinction  is  the  cause  of  great 
mourning,  and  it  is  a  time  when  the  Orientalism  of  this  people 
may  be  best  witnessed.  Hired  mourners  are  present  at  the 
last  rites  and  "go  about  the  streets."  The  grief  of  the 
female  members  of  the  family  is  terrible  to  witness.  Inter- 
ment takes  place  as  soon  after  death  as  possible.  The  funeral 
procession  forms  and  is  headed  by  two  bearers  of  tall  palm 
branches.  Following  these  are  a  number  of  blind  men — pro- 
fessional mourners — chanting  some  weird  death-song  and 
loudly  wailing  certain  portions  of  the  Koran.     The  body,  in 


The  Moslems  347 

a  plain  coffin,  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  four  men  comes  next. 
At  every  few  steps  the  bearers  give  way  to  others  from  the 
crowd.  Passers-by  join  the  procession  to  carry  the  deceased 
for  a  few  steps  and  then  drop  out  to  give  others  an  opportunity 
thus  to  show  their  respect.  The  body  is  buried  without  coffin 
of  any  kind.  If  the  deceased  was  a  rich  man,  and  generous, 
crowds  of  beggars  assemble  round  the  grave,  for  money  is  sure 
to  be  distributed.  For  many  succeeding  nights  a  lighted 
lantern  is  placed  on  or  near  the  grave  so  that  the  darkness  may 
not  be  too  oppressive  to  the  disembodied  spirit. 

Jerusalem  has  now  been  practically  in  undisputed  Moslem 
possession  for  six  hundred  years.  How  long  it  will  continue 
to  be  is  a  question  often  asked.  The  weakness  of  the  posses- 
sors is  very  evident.  In  the  dismemberment  of  the  Turkish 
Empire — an  event  which  is  delayed  only  by  the  jealousies  of 
the  European  Powers, — will  the  Holy  Land  become  the  prop- 
erty of  Russia,  France,  England  or  Germany?  Any  one  of 
these  nations  would  willingly  add  this  land  to  its  possessions, 
but  cannot  do  so  without  the  consent  of  the  others.  And  in 
the  present  delicate  condition  of  European  affairs  such  a  con- 
sent is  not  easily  secured.  Perhaps  a  compromise  will  be  ef- 
fected by  the  terms  of  which  Palestine  will  be  considered  as 
neutral  territory,  where  the  Jew  will  be  given  an  opportunity 
to  work  out  his  national  destiny.  The  Jew  has  national  aspi- 
rations and  ideas,  and  a  national  future.  Where,  if  not  here, 
will  his  aspirations  be  realized  and  his  ideas  carried  out  ? 


THE  FUTURE  OF  JERUSALEM 


Religious  Preeminence — Material  Prosperity — Wonderful 
Preservation — Jerusalem  not  Self-supporting — Barren  Appear- 
ance of  Palestine — Bethlehem  Hills — Recent  Improvements — 
Possibilities — Jordan  Valley — Jewish  Memorial — Colonists — 
Objection  to  Foreign  Colonists — Conditions  Changing — Jews 
the  Future  Inhabitants — Biblical  Proofs — Jewish  Expectancy 
— Room  for  City  Growth — Undeveloped  Resources — Greatest 
Difficulty — Lack  of  Public  Spirit — Water  in  Abundance  Prom- 
ised— Certainty  of  Prophecy — An  Indication — Jew  and  Chris- 
tian. 


35o 


XIX 

THE  FUTURE  OF  JERUSALEM 

IN  the  preceding  pages  an  endeavor  has  been  made  to  tell 
something  of  the  Sacred  City's  past  and  present.  The 
facts  brought  forth  must  have  convinced  the  reader  that  Jeru- 
salem, like  the  Jews,  is — as  it  ever  was — peculiar.  Its  location 
away  from  any  adequate  water  supply,  on  rugged,  almost  bar- 
ren hills,  is  unusual.  Its  nearly  four  thousand  years  of  strange, 
many  times  destructive,  experiences  give  it  an  unique  place  in 
history.  Its  religious  preeminence  is  undoubted.  Its  present 
material  prosperity  is  a  fact  in  spite  of  the  great  and  ill-recon- 
ciled variety  of  its  people. 

What  reasons  governed  the  choice  of  its  site  is  a  question 
neither  so  difficult  nor  so  interesting  as  how  it  has  been  pre- 
served. Founded  it  was  and  it  was  preserved ;  there  was  a 
Divine  purpose  in  the  founding  and  in  the  preservation ;  nor 
is  it  rash  to  go  further  and  say  that  there  was  a  special  Divine 
purpose  in  both. 

Judged  by  the  ordinary  standards  on  which  human  judg- 
ments are  framed  Jerusalem  ought  never  to  have  been  anything 
more  than  a  mountain  hamlet  where  a  few  hardy  villagers 
could  live,  because  their  wants  were  few  and  their  courage 
great.  The  land  of  which  it  became  the  capital  was  much 
greater  in  area  than  in  value.  On  the  east  and  south  was  the 
desert,  on  the  west  the  sea,  and  on  the  north  the  rival  kingdom 
of  Syria.  The  central  range,  running  from  north  to  south,  on 
which  the  city  stands,  does  not,  and  probably  never  did,  pre- 
sent a  pleasing  view  to  the  husbandman.  Its  hills  are  rugged, 
its  valleys  deep  gorges  where  cultivation  can  only  be  affected 
with  great  labor.     That  labor  has  been  available,  however,  and 

35 l 


352  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

patient  industry,  when  labor  cost  almost  nothing,  has  suc- 
ceeded where  to-day  it  would  surely  fail. 

The  land  of  Palestine  does  not  now  alone  support  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  as  it  is;  Jerusalem  is  not  self-supporting.  By 
this  it  is  not  meant  that  it  differs  from  other  cities,  for  it  is 
true  in  one  sense  that  no  city  is  self-supporting;  no  city  is  in- 
dependent in  the  sense  that  it  produces  all  that  is  necessary  for 
the  sustenance  and  comfort  of  its  residents.  The  people  of 
London  and  New  York  would  soon  starve  were  they  shut  off 
from  outside  communications.  But  London  and  New  York 
are  self-supporting  in  that  they  produce  that  which  they  can 
exchange  for  the  products  of  other  places.  Jerusalem  pro- 
duces nothing,  and  therefore  has  nothing  to  exchange.  The 
land  of  which  the  city  is  the  capital  now  produces  little  more 
than  its  villagers  require.  The  formerly  terraced  hills  are 
sadly  denuded  of  soil  and  stand,  naked  limestone  mountains, 
on  which  but  little  vegetation  can  find  room  to  live. 

This  barren  appearance  at  first  sight  puts  a  damper  on  any 
belief  in  the  country's  future,  and  many  visitors  immediately 
jump  to  the  conclusion  that  it  has  no  future.  Centuries  of 
negligence,  and  governmental  oppression  that  encourages 
negligence,  have  made  a  sorry  spectacle  of  a  land  that  once 
flourished  with  every  form  of  vegetation  that  pleased  the  eye 
and  delighted  the  taste.  But  I  am  satisfied  that  what  once  was 
produced  here  will,  or  may  be,  again  produced,  and  by 
similar  methods  of  industry  and  skill.  Fifteen  years  ago  the 
hills  near  Bethlehem  were  as  void  of  fields,  vineyards  and 
orchards  as  any  in  the  land  ;  the  soil  upon  them  was  thin  and 
the  rocky  ledges  very  prominent.  Now  all  around  this  little 
city  are  fields  of  grain,  abundant  vineyards  and  grand 
orchards  of  fig  and  olive  trees.  Industry  has  wrought  the 
transformation.  The  terraces  have  been  rebuilt,  the  earth 
brought  from  the  valleys  into  which  it  had  been  washed  and 
the  result  is  all  that  could  be  desired.  There  are  similar  spots 
all  over  Palestine,  as,  for  example  the  grounds  of  the  American 


The   Future   of  Jerusalem  353 

Friends'  Mission,  in  Ramallah,  the  precincts,  the  numerous 
Jewish  colonies,  and  the  lands  of  the  Latin  Convents.  All 
these  improvements,  accomplished  in  a  few  years,  indicate 
that  the  land  that  once  supported  a  population  of  at  least  two 
millions  could  again  do  so.  The  divine  conditions  of  soil  and 
climate  are  the  same  as  ever,  only  the  human  conditions  of  in- 
dustry in  the  individual  and  encouragement  in  the  government 
are  sadly  lacking. 

Supposing  the  latter  two  conditions  to  be  met,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  Jerusalem  would  become  the  centre  of  an  agricul- 
tural district  that  could  compete  with  other  countries  in  the 
great  world  markets.  This  may  seem  a  strange  statement  to 
those  who  have  depended  upon  the  accounts  of  casual 
visitors,  or  professional  writers,  who  presume  to  know  all 
about  it  after  a  few  days'  stay,  for  their  information.  The 
Jordan  valley  is  now  desert.  It  has  in  it  the  possibilities  of  a 
Paradise.  East  of  the  Jordan,  the  land  of  the  homeless 
Bedouin,  is  an  unknown  country  to  most  people.  I  venture  to 
state  that  there  is  no  finer  wheat  land  on  earth  than  this.  The 
methods  of  agriculture  are  of  the  crudest,  but  the  harvest  that 
results  would  abundantly  remunerate  a  more  skillful  husband- 
man. The  Jewish  committee  that  presented  a  memorial  to  Lord 
Salisbury  in  1891  did  not  prophesy  the  unlikely  when  they 
said  :  "If  at  this  moment  the  ground  is  barren  in  parts  and 
refuses  to  yield  its  increase,  we  know  that  it  is  the  hand  of 
man  that  has  wrought  the  evil.  The  hand  of  man  shall  rem- 
edy it." 

Certain  it  is  that  when  the  country  contiguous  is  properly 
cared  for,  the  city  will  thrive.  Temporal  prosperity  is  in 
sight.  Societies  of  colonization  have  been  formed  in  recent 
years  in  Roumania,  Southern  Russia,  Germany,  England,  and, 
quite  lately,  in  America.  Agents  have  been  sent  to  purchase 
lands  and  have  succeeded  in  acquiring  possession  of  desirable 
tracts  along  the  maritime  plain  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jaffa 
and  near  the  base  of  Carmel.     The  majority  of  the  colonists 


354  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

thus  far  have  been  Jews,  and  when  they  have  had  some  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  agricultural  life  have  been  reasonably  pros- 
perous. It  has  been  learned  at  the  same  time  that  the  attempt 
to  make  tillers  of  the  soil  out  of  shopkeepers  and  petty  artisans 
is  a  waste  of  money.  The  German  colonists  have  been  uni- 
formly successful,  because  of  their  ability  and  willingness  to 
work.  One  cannot  help  admiring  their  neat  villages  and  com- 
fortable looking  homes  at  Haifa,  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem ;  they 
are  like  little  bits  of  the  prettiest  of  German  rural  life. 

It  is  impossible  to  foretell  the  future  of  colonization  plans, 
because  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  political  horizon.  Naturally 
the  present  rulers  do  not  wish  to  see  these  foreigners  coming 
and  settling  here,  bringing  their  foreign  ideas,  habits,  and  re- 
ligions, and  retaining  their  allegiance  to  their  governments  in 
Europe  and  America.  They  are  small  foreign  states  in  the 
land  of  the  Turk,  and  the  Turk  is  aware  that  the  longer  they 
remain  the  more  determined  and  intelligent  will  be  their  op- 
position to  him.  Thus  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  in- 
tending colonists  will  hesitate  to  come,  not  wishing  to  risk  their 
all  in  the  face  of  present  opposition  and  future  uncertainty. 

Conditions  are  changing.  Even  the  unprogressive  Turk  is 
submitting  gradually  to  modern  improvements.  If  a  prophet 
twenty  years  ago  had  predicted  as  many  changes  for  the  better 
as  have  been  made  in  Palestine  during  that  time  he  would  have 
been  treated  as  a  dreamer.  There  are  now  some  good  carriage 
roads,  where  then  there  were  only  miserable  paths  threading 
the  land.  Now  there  is  a  railroad  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem, 
and  another  is  building  from  Haifa  to  Damascus,  passing 
through  the  rich  valley  of  Jezreel,  by  Lake  Galilee  and  across 
the  fertile  Hauran.  These  improvements,  continued  as  they 
surely  will  be,  are  the  presages  of  a  future  for  that  city  which 
is  destined  to  be  the  capital  of  the  land.  It  needs  no  prophet 
to  foretell  this  now,  but  the  majority  may  need  some  one  to 
recall  to  them  the  fact  that  present  conditions  and  future  im- 
provements were  foretold  centuries  ago. 


The   Future   of  Jerusalem  355 

My  own  belief  is  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  Pales- 
tine will  be  in  the  hands  of  a  people  who  will  restore  it  to  its 
former  condition  of  productiveness.  The  land  is  waiting,  the 
people  are  ready  to  come  and  will  come  as  soon  as  protection 
to  life  and  property  is  assured.  I  am  ready  to  go  further  and 
say  that  the  coming  inhabitants  will  be  Jews.  This  must  be 
accepted  or  the  numerous  prophecies  that  assert  it  so  positively 
must  be  thrown  out  as  worthless.  The  subject  of  Israel's  res- 
toration I  freely  admit  is  not  a  popular  one  now ;  but  the  un- 
popular of  to-day  is  the  universally  accepted  of  to-morrow. 

It  certainly  will  not  be  considered  out  of  place  to  introduce 
in  this  connection  a  few  of  the  many  prophetic  passages  that  as- 
sert this  return  of  the  dispersed  of  Israel :  "  He  that  scattered 
Israel  will  gather  him  "  (Jer.  xxxi.  10).  "  He  shall  assemble 
the  outcasts  of  Israel  and  gather  together  the  dispersed  of 
Judah  "  (Isaiah  xi.  12).  "  Like  as  I  have  watched  over  them 
to  pluck  up  and  to  break  down  and  to  destroy  and  to  afflict, 
so  will  I  watch  over  them  to  build  and  to  plant,  saith  the 
Lord  "  (Jer.  xxxi.  28).  "  For  I  will  take  you  from  among  the 
heathen  and  gather  you  out  of  all  countries  and  will  bring  you 
into  your  own  land  "  (Ezekiel  xxxvi.  24).  Now  this  gathering 
has  not  yet  taken  place;  it  must  be  made  or  prophecy  counts 
for  nothing.  The  present  movements  among  Jews  in  many 
parts  of  the  world  indicate  their  belief  in  the  prophetic  asser- 
tions. Their  eyes  are  turning  toward  the  land  that  once  was 
theirs,  and  their  hearts  are  longing  for  the  day  when  they  as  a 
people  can  dwell  securely  in  it.  With  every  improvement  of 
the  country  the  city  must  improve.  It  will  always  be  the  centre 
of  Palestine.  Should  an  independent  nation  arise  and  occupy 
the  land  as  it  once  did  we  should  see  history  being  repeated 
and  Jerusalem  a  city  of  prominence.  There  are  physical  ob- 
stacles that  would  have  to  be  overcome,  but  they  are  not  so 
great  as  has  been  often  assumed  and  asserted.  There  is  room 
for  a  large  city.  The  Plain  of  Rephaim  as  far  south  as  the 
Convent  of  Saint  Elias — half  way  to  Bethlehem — is  admirably 


356  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

adapted  to  city  construction.  The  broad  plateau  on  the  north, 
now  being  rapidly  built  over,  is  all  that  could  be  desired  for 
residence  sites.     There  is  ample  room  for  a  large  city. 

There  is  something  more  needed  than  room,  however ; 
there  must  be  means  of  support  for  the  people.  These  means 
are  at  hand,  but,  as  already  mentioned,  they  are  undeveloped. 
Rich  mineral  deposits  have  been  discovered,  but  work  upon 
them  has  been  abandoned  because  of  the  paralyzing  policy  of 
the  government.  Copper  and  tin  have  been  found ;  coal  ex- 
ists in  paying  quantities  in  the  Lebanon  and  near  Sidon ;  at 
the  former  mines  the  coal  is  of  good  quality  and  12,000  tons 
were  at  one  time  mined,  then  the  works  were  abandoned. 
With  the  introduction  of  railways  these  fields  would  all  be 
worked  and  made  to  pay.  There  are  large  mineral  deposits 
in  Gilead  and  Moab  and  along  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
Petroleum  is  said  by  experts  to  exist  in  abundance  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  Jordan  valley.  There  are  salt  deposits 
in  and  near  the  Dead  Sea  sufficient  to  supply  the  world's 
demands.  All  this  wealth  of  minerals  is  of  no  value  now,  but 
once  capital  is  assured  of  safe  investment  the  present  death 
will  give  place  to  activity.  In  such  an  event  Jerusalem  would 
be  the  natural  manufacturing  centre  and  could  not  only  supply 
her  own  demands,  but  be  able  to  compete  with  other  manu- 
facturing cities  in  the  markets  of  the  world. 

The  greatest  difficulty  in  the  way  is  the  lack  of  water.  No 
doubt  this  was  always  a  difficulty,  but  one  which  in  the  former 
days  of  prosperity  was  met  by  great  skill  and  great  labor, 
which  were  applied  in  devising  and  building  the  great  aque- 
ducts that  led  from  distant  fountains  into  the  city.  Many  of 
the  early  kings  made  the  providing  of  water  for  their  capital 
their  chief  concern.  Large  pools — as  Upper  and  Lower 
Gihon,  Hezekiah,  Bethesda,  Siloam — collected  and  preserved 
for  public  use  large  quantities.  Cisterns  were  then  much 
more  numerous  than  now.  And  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  the  Virgin's  Fountain  was  a  much  more  copious  stream. 


The   Future   of  Jerusalem  357 

Whether  added  to  these  was  another  natural  source  springing 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  city  or  in  the  temple  area  is  a  question 
on  which  the  authorities  differ.  The  inhabitants  of  the  mod- 
ern city  do  not  enjoy  the  blessing  of  an  abundance  of  water, 
but  they  have  omitted  the  efforts  to  obtain  it  and  preserve  it 
put  forth  by  their  predecessors.  It  really  is  not  so  much  a 
question  of  lack  of  water  as  lack  of  energy  and  public  spirit ; 
an  honest  capable  city  government  would  soon  have  it.  The 
money  necessary  for  the  work  was  once  offered  by  an  English 
company,  but  as  the  capitalists  stipulated  that  an  English 
superintendent  was  to  oversee  expenditures,  the  local  authori- 
ties declined  the  offer. 

But  in  the  city  that  the  prophets  beheld  in  moments  of  in- 
spired vision  this  great  lack  was  to  be  supplied  by  natural 
means.  There  will  be  an  abundant  supply  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  city.  Perennial  streams  shall  issue.  Zechariah  (xiv.  8) 
tells  us,  "And  it  shall  be  in  that  day  that  living  waters  shall 
go  out  from  Jerusalem,  half  of  them  toward  the  former  sea 
and  half  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea ;  in  summer  and  in 
winter  shall  it  be."  That  this  great  change  is  to  occur  in  the 
millennial  age  is  generally  conceded.  To  speculate  any  further 
about  it,  to  attempt  any  description  of  the  changes  physical 
and  spiritual  that  must  attend  it  would  be  going  too  far  for 
this  work.  At  the  same  time  it  may  be  said,  and  repeatedly, 
that  the  city  of  prophetic  assertion  must  be  realized  or  prophecy 
be  relegated  to  a  position  on  a  par  with  fictitious  literature. 

Any  one  desiring  to  know  the  millennial  future  of  Jerusalem 
can  find  it  described  on  many  pages  of  the  Inspired  Word. 
The  only  legitimate  method  for  the  interpretation  of  the  vari- 
ous allusions  to  that  future  city  is  the  natural  one,  /'.  e.,  to  take 
just  what  is  there  said  as  it  is  said  and  attempt  neither  to  add 
to  nor  detract  from  the  statements. 

Forgetfulness,  or  rather,  disregard,  of  this  has  led  to  many 
fanciful  and  some  foolish  conclusions.  The  result  has  been 
that  serious-minded  people  have  come  to  believe  that  there  is 


358  Jerusalem  the  Holy 

no  interpretation  of  these  passages  that  can  lead  to  any  cer- 
tainty. There  may  be  some  grounds  for  the  belief,  they  are 
due  however  to  fault,  not  in  the  prophetic  narrative,  but  in 
our  methods  of  treating  that  narrative.  Better  take  the  narra- 
tive as  it  stands  and  believe  that  what  is  there  said  of  the  fu- 
ture of  Jerusalem  will  come  to  pass,  or  believe,  as  many  do, 
that  the  city  can  have  no  future  that  will  make  it  sufficiently 
important  to  command  the  attention  of  the  modern  world. 
For  my  part  I  see  no  reason  to  question  the  Bible  statements 
about  the  future  of  Jerusalem  and  believe  there  are  many  signs 
in  the  present  pointing  to  the  fulfillment  of  what  the  Scriptures 
say  about  it. 

It  is  very  certain  that  Mohammedanism  will  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  city's  future.  Its  six  hundred  years  of  possession 
and  its  present  deplorable  condition  warrant  the  assertion. 
Jerusalem  has  been  ground  under  the  heel  of  Moslem  oppres- 
sors, in  spite  of  the  fact  that  as  a  holy  city  it  is  with  them 
second  only  to  Mecca.  It  would  still  be  in  the  same  deplor- 
able condition  were  the  Christian  nations  and  their  many 
Jewish  subjects  not  becoming  so  much  interested  in  it. 
Quietly  the  Jew  and  Christian  have  been  getting  possession  of 
desirable  building  sites  and  erecting  substantial  structures. 
Less  than  half  of  the  city  within  the  walls  is  owned  by  Mos- 
lems, while  hardly  any  of  the  new  city  outside  the  walls  is 
now  in  their  hands.  This  desire  to  acquire  Jerusalem  real  es- 
tate, a  desire  that  animates  Christians  and  Jews,  gives  a  strong 
indication  of  what  the  city  of  the  future  is  to  be.  Its  destiny 
is  bound  up  with  religion.  For  similar  reasons  Christian  and 
Jew  love  it ;  to  each  it  is  holy  for  what  it  has  been ;  it  will 
become  holier  and  greater  still. 

It  has  already  been  said  in  this  chapter  that  the  coming  in- 
habitants of  Palestine  will  be  Jews.  The  fact  that  Christians 
now  hold  a  goodly  portion  of  the  city  and  land  counts  for 
nothing  against  this.  The  time  has  come  when  Jew  and 
Christian  can  live  together  without  persecution  on  either  side. 


The   Future   of  Jerusalem  359 

The  "wall  of  partition"  still  stands.  It  is  higher  and 
stronger  in  Jerusalem  than  any  place  else  on  earth.  But  even 
here  it  is  crumbling.  There  is  at  least  tolerance  for  the  nar- 
rowest Christianity  in  this  capital  of  the  severest  Judaism ;  and 
this  tolerance  must  grow  into  something  more  friendly. 
Christianity  and  Judaism  are  radically  the  same  religion.  We 
believe  that  Christianity  has  the  real  life — the  life  of  the  Spirit 
— a  stage  of  development  to  which  Judaism  has  not  attained, 
but  Judaism  will  advance ;  that  when  it  has  reached  the  spirit- 
ual stage,  the  "wall  of  partition"  will  be  broken  down  and 
a  union  will  be  effected  in  a  religion  nearer  the  divine  ideal 
than  this  world  has  yet  witnessed,  whose  adherents  shall  be 
"  Israelites  indeed." 


AL  KUDS  (Tlie  Holy) 


JERUSALEM 


These  maps  are  from  "  The 
Holy  Land  in  Geography  and  in 
History," "  and  are  used  by  the 
kind  permission  of  the  author,  Mr. 
Townsend  Mac  Conn,  M.A. 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  JERUSALEM 


JERUSALEM  OF  TO-DAY 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF 

JERUSALEM 

ACCORDING  TO  TRADITION  ANO  ITS 

PRESENT  GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES. 

PLAN  OF 

THE    TEMPLE 

ANO  TEMPLE  AREA 
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author,  and  a  map.     Royal  8vo,  cloth,  boxed,  $4.00. 

The  Story  of  Uganda 

And  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza  Mission.  By  S.  G.  Stock. 
Illustrated,     umo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

"  To  be  commended  as  a  good,  brief,  general  survey  of  the 
Protestant  missionary  work  in  Uganda." — The  Literary  World. 

Robert  Moffat, 

The  Missionary  Hero  of  Kuruman.  By  David  J.  Deane. 
Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illustrated.  25th  thousand. 
i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

Robert  Moffat. 

By  M.  L.  Wilder.  Missionary  Annals  Series.  12010, 
paper,  net,   15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

The  Congo  for  Christ. 

The  Story  of  the  Congo  Mission.  By  Rev.  John  B.  Myers. 
Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illustrated.  Tenth  thousand. 
i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

On  the  Congo. 

(    Edited  from  Notes  and  Conversations  of  Missionaries,  by 
*    Mrs,  H.  Grattan  Guinness.     i2mo,  paper,  50c. 


{MISSIONS,  AFRICA. 


Samuel  Crowther,  the  Slave  Boy 

Who  became  Bishop  of  the  Niger.     By  Jesse  Page.     Mis- 
sionary Biography  Series.     Illustrated.    Eighteenth  thous- 
and.    i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 
"  We  cannot  conceive  of  anything  better  calculated  to  inspire 

in  the  hearts  of  young  people  an  enthusiasm  for  the  cause." — The 

Christian. 

Thomas  Birch  Freeman. 

Missionary  Pioneer  to  Ashanti,  Dahomey  and  Egba.  By 
John  Milum,  F.R.G.S.  Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illus- 
trated.    i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

"  Well  written  and  well  worth  reading." — The  Faithful  Wit- 
ness. 

Seven  Years  in  Sierra  Leone. 

The  Story  of  the  Missionary  Work  of  Wm.  A.  B.  Johnson. 
By  Rev.  Arthur  T.  Pierson,  D.D.     i6mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

Johnson  was  a  missionary  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in 
Regent's  Town,  Sierra  Leone,  Africa,  from  1816  to  1823. 

Among  the  Matabele. 

By  Rev.  D.  Carnegie,  for  ten  years  resident  at  Hope  Foun- 
tain, twelve  miles  from  Bulawayo.  With  portraits,  maps 
and  other  illustrations.    Second  edition.    i2mo,  cloth,  60c. 

Peril  and  Adventure  in  Central  Africa. 

Illustrated  Letter  to  the  Youngsters  at  Home.  By  Bishop 
Hammington.     Illustrated,     umo,  cloth,  50c. 

Madagascar  of  To-Day. 

A  Sketch  of  the  Island.    With  Chapters  on  its  History  ano 
Prospects.     By   Rev.  W.  E.  Cousins,  Missionary  of  the, 
^Vondon  Missionary  Society  since  1862.     Map  and  Illus- 
trations.    i2mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

Madagascar. 

Its  Missionaries  and  Martyrs.  By  Rev.  W.  J.  Townsend, 
D.D.  Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illustrated.  Tenth 
thousand.     i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

Madagascar. 

By  Belle  McPherson  Campbell.  Missionary  Annals  Series. 
i2mo,  paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Madagascar. 

Country,  People,  Missions.  By  Rev.  James  Sibree, 
F.R.G.S.     Outline  Missionary  Series.     i6mo,  paper,  20c 


MISSIONS,  CHINA. 


Chinese  Characteristics. 

By  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Smith,  D.D.,  for  25  years  a  Missionary 
in  China.     With   16  full-page  original  Illustrations,  and 
index.     Sixth  thousand.     Vopular  edition.    8vo,  cloth, 
$1.25. 
"  The  best  book  on  the  Chinese  people." — The  Examiner. 

A  Cycle  of  Cathay; 

Or,  China,  South  and  North.  With  personal  reminiscen- 
ces. By  W.  A.  P.  Martin,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  President 
Emeritus  of  the  Imperial  Tungwen  College,  Peking. 
With  70  Illustrations  from  photographs  and  native  draw- 
ings, a  Map  and  an  index.  Second  edition.  8vo,  cloth 
decorated,  $2.00. 
"  No  student  of  Eastern  affairs  can  afford  to  neglect  this  work, 

which  will  take  its  place  with  Dr.  William's  '  Middle  Kingdom,'  as 

an  authoritative  work  on  China." — The  Outlook. 

Glances  at  China. 

By  Rev.  Gilbert  Reid,  M.A.,  Founder  of  the  Mission  to 
the  Higher  Classes.     Illustrated.     12  mo,  cloth,  80c. 

Pictures  of  Southern  China. 

By  Rev.  James  MacGowan.  With  80  Illustrations.  8vo, 
cloth,  $4.20. 

A  Winter  in  North  China. 

By  Rev.  T.  M.  Morris.  With  an  Introduction  by  Rev. 
Richard  Glover,  D.D.,  and  a  Map.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 

John  Livingston  Nevius, 

For  Forty  Years  a  Missionary  in  Shantung.  By  his  wife, 
Helen  S.  C.  Nevius.  With  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev. 
W.  A.  P.  Martin,  D.D.     Illustrated.     8vo,  cloth,  $2.00. 

The  Sister  Martyrs  of  Ku  Cheng. 

Letters  and  a  Memoir  of  Eleanor  and  Elizabeth  Saunders, 
Massacred  August  ist,  1895.  Illustrated.  i2mo,  cloth, 
$1.50. 

China. 

By  Rev.  J.  T.  Gracey,  D.D.  Seventh  edition,  revised. 
i6mo,  paper,  15c. 

Protestant  Missions  in  China. 

By  D.  Willard  Lyon,  a  Secretary  of  the  Student  Volun- 
teer Movement.     i6mo,  paper,  15c. 


MISSIONS,  CHINA  AND  FORMOSA. 


James  Gilmour,  of  Mongolia. 

His  Diaries,  Letters  and  Reports.  Edited  and  arranged 
by  Richard  Lovett,  M.A.  With  three  photogravure 
Portraits  and  Illustrations.     8vo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.75. 

"  It  is  a  vivid  picture  of  twenty  years  of  devoted  and  heroic 
service  in  a  field  as  hard  as  often  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  worker  in  for- 
eign lands." — The  Congregationalist 

Among  the  Mongols. 

By  Rev.  James  Gilmour.    Illustrated.    i2mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

James  Gilmour  and  His  Boys. 

Being  Letters  to  his  Sons  in  England.  With  facsimiles  of 
Letters,  a  Map  and  other  Illustrations.  i2mo,  cloth, 
$1.25. 

Griffith  John, 

Founder  of  the  Hankow  Mission,  Central  China.  By 
William  Robson.  Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illus- 
trated.    i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

John  Kenneth  Mackenzie, 

Medical  Missionary  to  China.  With  the  Story  of  the  first 
Chinese  Hospital.  By  Mrs.  Mary  I.  Bryson.  With  por- 
trait.    i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 

The  Story  of  the  China  Inland  Mission. 

By  M.  Geraldine  Guinness.  Introduction  by  J.  Hudson 
Taylor,  F.R.G.S.  Illustrated,  2  volumes,  8vo,  cloth, 
each,  $1.50. 

From  Far  Formosa: 

The  Island,  its  People  and  Missions.  By  Rev.  G.  L. 
Mackay,  D.D.,  23  years  a  missionary  on  the  island.  Well 
indexed.  With  many  Illustrations  from  photographs  by 
the  author,  and  several  Maps.  Fifth  thousand.  Popular 
edition.     8vo,  cloth,  $1.23. 

China  and  Formosa. 

The  Story  of  the  Mission  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
England.  By  Rev.  James  Johnson,  editor  of  "  Missionary 
Conference  Report,  1888."  With  4  Maps  and  many 
Illustrations,  prepared  for  this  work.     8vo,  cloth,  $1.75. 


{MISSIONS,  INDIA. 


In  the  Tiger  Jungle. 

And  Other  Stories  of  Missionary  Work  among  the  Telugus. 
By  Rev.  Jacob  Chamberlain,  M.D.,  D.D.,  for  37  years  a 
Missionary  in  India.     Illustrated.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

"  If  this  is  the  kind  of  missionary  who  mans  the  foreign  stations, 
they  will  never  fail  for  lack  of  enterprise.  .  .  .  The  book  is  withal 
a  vivid  and  serious  portrayal  of  the  mission  work,  and  as  such 
leaves  a  deep  impression  on  the  reader." — The  Independent. 

The  Child  of  the  Ganges. 

A  Tale  of  the  Judson  Mission.  By  Prof.  R.  N.  Barrett, 
D.D.     Illustrated.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

Adoniram  Judson. 

By  Julia  H.  Johnston.  Missionary  Annals  Series.  i2mo, 
paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Once  Hindu,  now  Christian. 

The  Early  Life  of  Baba  Padmanji.  An  Autobiography, 
translated.  Edited  by  J.  Murray  Mitchell,  M.  A.  i6mo, 
cloth,  75c. 

William  Carey. 

The  Shoemaker  who  became  "the  Father  and  Founder  of 
Foreign  Missions."  By  Rev.  John  B.  Myers.  Missionary 
Biography  Series.  Illustrated.  Twenty -second  thousand. 
i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

William  Carey. 

By  Mary  E.  Farwell.  Missionary  Annals  Series.  121110, 
paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Alexander  Duff. 

By  Elizabeth  B.  Vermilye.  Missionary  Annals  Series. 
i2mo,  paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Reginald  Heber, 

Bishop  of  Calcutta,  Scholar  and  Evangelist.  By  Arthur 
Montefiore.  Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illustrated. 
i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

Heavenly  Pearls  Set  in  a  Life. 

A  Record  of  Experiences  and  Labors  in  America,  India, 
and  Australia.     By  Mrs.  Lucy  D,  Osborn.     Illustrated. 
3  i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 


(MISSIONS,  PERSIA  AND  INDIA. 


Persian  Life  and  Customs. 

With  Incidents  of  Residence  and  Travel  in  the  Land  of  the 
Lion  and  the  Sun.  By  Rev.  S.  G.  Wilson,  M.A.,  for  15 
years  a  missionary  in  Persia.  With  Map,  and  other  Illus- 
trations, and  Index.  Second  edition,  reduced  in  price. 
8vo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

Justin  Perkins, 

Pioneer  Missionary  to  Persia.  By  his  son,  Rev.  H.  M. 
Perkins.  Missionary  Annals  Series.  121110,  paper,  net, 
15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Women  and  the  Gospel  in  Persia. 

By  Rev.  Thomas  Laurie,  D.D.  Missionary  Annals  Series. 
i2mo,  paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth,  net,  30c. 

Henry  Martyn,  Saint  and  Scholar. 

FirstModem  Missionaryto  the  Mohammedans.   1 781-1812. 

By  George  Smith,  author  of  "Life  of  William  Carey," 

"The  Conversion  of  India,"  etc.     With  Portrait,  Map, 

and  Illustrations.     Large  8vo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  $3.00. 

"This  excellent  biography,  so  accurately  written,  so  full  of 

interest  and  contagious  enthusiasm,  so  well  arranged,  illustrated, 

and  indexed,  is  worthy  of  the  subject." — The  Critic. 

Henry  Martyn. 

His  Life  and  Labors:  Cambridge — India — Persia.  By  Jesse 
Page.  Missionary  Biography  Series.  Illustrated.  Eleventh 
thousand.     i2mo,  cloth,  75c. 

Henry  Martyn. 

Missionary  to  India  and  Persia.  1 781-1812.  Abridged 
from  the  Memoir  by  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Rhea.  Missionary 
Annals  Series.  i2mo,  paper,  net,  15c;  flexible  cloth, 
net,  30c. 

The  Conversion  of  India. 

From  Pantasnus  to  the  Present  Time,  a.  d.  193-1893.  By 
George  Smith,  C.I.E.,  author  of  "  Henry  Martyn."  Illus- 
trated.    i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 

The  Cross  in  the  Land  of  the  Trident. 

By  Rev.  Harlan  P.  Beach,  Educational  Secretary  of  the 
Student  Volunteer  Movement.  5th  thousand.  i2mo, 
paper,  net,  25c. ;  cloth,  50c. 


MISSIONS,  JAPAN. 
Rambles  in  Japan, 

The  Land  of  the   Rising  Sun.     By  Rev.  Canon  H.  B. 

Tristram,  D.D.,  F.R.S.      With  forty-six  illustrations  by 

Edward  Whymper,  a  Map,  and  an  index.     8vo3  cloth, 

$2.00. 
"A  delightful  book  by  a  competent  author,  who,  as  a  natural- 
ist, writes  well  of  the  country,  while  as  a  Christian  and  a  humanita- 
rian he  writes  with  sympathy  of  the  new  institutions  of  new  Japan." 
—  The  Independent. 

The  Gist  of  Japan : 

The  Islands,  their  People,  and  Missions.      By  Rev.  R.  B. 
Peery,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  of  the  Lutheran  Mission,  Saga.    Il- 
lustrated.    i2mo,  cloth  decorated,  $1.25. 
This  book  does  not  pretend  to  be  an  exhaustive  treatise  of  an 
exhaustless    topic ;    it    does    pretend    to  cover  the   subject ;  and 
whosoever  is  eager  to  know  the  "  gist "  of  those  matters  Japanese 
in  which  Westerners  are  most  interested— the  land,  the  people, 
the   coming  of  Christianity,  the  difficulties  and  prospects  of  her 
missions,  the  condition  of  the  native  Church — will  find  it  set  down 
in  Dr.   Peery's  book  in  a  very  interesting,  reliable,  instructive, 
and  condensed  form. 

The  Ainu  of  Japan. 

The  Religion,  Superstitions,  and  General  History  of  the 
Hairy  Aborigines  of  Japan.     By   Rev.   John   Batchelor. 
With  80  Illustrations.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1,150. 
"Mr.  Batchelor's  book,  besides  its  eighty  trustworthy  illustra- 
tions, its  careful  editing,  and  its  excellent  index,  is  replete  with 
information  of  all  sorts  about  the  Ainu  men,  women,  and  children. 
Almost  every  phase  of  their  physical  and  metaphysical  life  has  been 
studied,  and  carefully  noted." — The  Nation. 

The  Diary  of  a  Japanese  Convert. 

By  Kanzo  Uchimura.     12010,  cloth,  $1.00. 

"  This  book  is  far  more  than  the  name  indicates.  It  is  the  only 
book  of  its  kind  published  in  the  English  language,  if  not  in  any 
language.  It  is  something  new  under  the  sun,  and  is  as  original  as 
it  is  new.  It  has  the  earmarks  of  a  strong  and  striking  individual- 
ity, is  clear  in  diction,  forceful  in  style,  and  fearless  in  criticism." — 
The  Interior. 

A  Maker  of  the  New  Japan. 

Joseph  Hardy  Neesima,  the  Founder  of  Doshisha  University. 
By  Rev.  J.    D.   Davis,   D.D.,   Professor  in  Doshisha.     Il- 
lustrated.   Second  edition.      i2mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

"The  life  is  admirably  and  spiritedly  written,  and  its  hero 
stands  forth  as  one  of  the  most  romantic  and  inspiring  figures  of 
modern  times,  a  benefactor  to  his  own  country  and  an  object  of 
tender  regard  on  our  part ;  for  it  was  to  the  United  States  that 
Mr.  Neesima  turned  for  light  and  help  in  his  educational  plans." 
-~The  Examiner, 


